Of Swans and Wedding Bells
by Erik'sTrueAngel
Summary: Part 9A of the Clandestine Tryst series. Neal returns to Storybrooke to get to know his new family and son, including his father. As the wedding approaches for Belle and Rumple, Neal looks to Emma and hopes it's not too late for a second chance… Swanfire and Rumbelle.
1. Part 1

Rated: PG-13 or T

Genre: Romance/Drama

Summary: Part 9A of the Clandestine Tryst series. Neal returns to Storybrooke to get to know his new family and son, including his father. As the wedding approaches for Belle and Rumple, Neal looks to Emma and hopes it's not too late for a second chance… Swanfire and Rumbelle.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of _Once Upon a Time_. If I did… let's say there would have been some changes made.

A/N: Like the rest of my series, it is an AU of the show in particular with more Nealfire involved. This one is mostly told from Neal/Baelfire's POV but I wanted to give a new perspective and set it up for the next story in my series. Seriously… I cannot believe how long this has become and I want to thank you guys for supporting me along the way! You guys rock!

Of Swans and Wedding Bells

By: Erik'sTrueAngel

 **Part 1**

The visit to New York did extend for a second week. In that time, Neal got to acquaint himself with his sister Lily-Rose and soon-to-be stepmother Belle. His father, Rumplestiltskin, remained in the picture but didn't want to disrupt the mood since he and his son still had many unresolved issues to work through.

Belle insisted they call a truce for now but her fiancé took it to mean no communication at all. Of course, Rumple didn't want to say the wrong thing and his silence only aggravated Neal but he kept his comments to himself. They'll have time later to hash it out, but until then… he had a new family to get to know and a sister who wanted to fly!

Lifting Lily-Rose by her armpits, Neal swung her over his head as he made an airplane sound. The toddler shrieked in delight and laughed as they spun faster and faster. "Here we go for a landing!" Neal exclaimed, bringing her to his side and low to the ground before bringing her back up into the air. "Never mind! We have another plane in sight!"

His son ( _his son_ ) Henry had his arms outstretched as he angled them up and down, running in a circle. Making the same airplane sound, Henry came charging at the brother and sister duo before veering off.

"You can't catch me!" he singsong.

"Sounds like a challenge, huh Squirt?" he asked Lily-Rose. Giggling breathlessly, she nodded.

"Let's get him!" she shouted.

The two planes chased each other until the older pilot brought the tiny plane closer to him and used his free arm to tackle the second. All three were howling with laughter as Neal brought them to earth.

Landing on his butt, he said, "That was fun right?" Before he could finish his sentence, Lily-Rose and Henry exchanged devious looks before flinging themselves into Neal's unexpected torso.

Belle, Rumple, and Emma sat on a bench not too far from the scene watching their respective children bonding.

"Neal is great with them isn't he?" Belle remarked to her two quiet companions.

"Yeah."

"He's a natural."

Belle sighed. She expected this from Rumple, but Emma? Clearly, she and Neal had a past that did not end well but like the father-son pair—Emma and Neal hardly acknowledged the other. Not from a lack of trying, Belle noted. Neal tried to speak to the blonde but she kept brushing him off and closing up around him. Whatever it was had been really bad for Emma to act this way.

As for Henry?

The boy was still mad at his mother for the deception, but he did ease up on her after they had a long chat about her lie. He seemed a bit like his old self prior to the heartbreaking truth; although, he was putting some distance between him and Emma. Not purposely or maliciously Belle had observed. Just the little things like not sitting next to Emma when they eat or preferring to ride with Neal back to the hotel.

Yes he wanted to get to know his birth father, but he was also inadvertently hurting his mother in the process. Belle could see she would have her hands full as soon as they returned to Storybrooke. Not only was a wedding had to be planned, but also there were many broken relationships that needed fixing.

 _Gods give me the strength._

After the venture in the park, they agreed to go out to dinner as a group (Belle had to roll her eyes at the avoidance of the "f" word) to a nice family— _group_ restaurant. Of course, Belle never met a group of adults who were so afraid and wary to use the word and who would much prefer walking on eggshells than to confront the reality of their situation. She was going to talk to Rumple as soon as they were alone, and not within Lily-Rose's earshot. Maybe even Emma too…

Once their orders were placed, the topic of Storybrooke was brought up. They've been gone for a while now and it was the other elephant in the room that needed to be mentioned.

"As much as I would love for us to stay in New York longer, we do have a wedding to plan," Belle said.

The Savior looked practically relieved that the brunette beauty brought it up. " _And_ you have school Henry," Emma reminded the boy. Henry and Lily-Rose couldn't help the collected sigh and even Neal was a little disappointed to have them leave so soon. There was still so much he hadn't learned about his son yet…

Like always, Henry was looking on the bright side of things. "Well, going back won't be so bad. You have to check it out Dad—it's a small town but there's this awesome beach—" As Henry went on about the sights and sounds that Storybrooke had to offer, Neal noticed Emma's flinch at calling him "Dad." It was a word he never thought he would hear and it filled him with such warmth and pride to know this amazing little boy was _his_. It still felt like a wonderful dream and Neal was afraid he would wake to find Henry a figment of his imagination. However, seeing Emma cringe only reminded him how less than thrilled she was to see him again and how badly he had left things… So immersed in his thoughts, Neal didn't realize Henry was asking him if he was coming back too.

Neal hadn't thought about it—it would make sense but could he leave the familiar, safe world of Non-magic and enter the unknown Magic one? He didn't like the fact it meant his Papa had his powers, and he knew well enough that it could spell trouble for those who were tempted to make a deal with the Dark One… Or if they had no other choice. Neal never liked the desperate souls because they never realize what they agreed to do and it never ended well. However, before he could make up his mind, Emma was already cutting in.

"Henry that's a huge inconvenience for your—um, Neal to come back with us. He has a life here and he's probably busy. You can't expect someone to uproot themselves so suddenly." It didn't go unnoticed that she was refusing to meet Neal's gaze as she said this.

Of course, it didn't sit well with him that she was making a decision without discussing it with him first. Then again… had he not done the same ten years ago? _This is different_ , the voice in his head argued. _You have a child now and he comes first. Remember. You told yourself that things will be different if you ever became a father…_

"Actually," Neal started. "I could tag along. Have a lot of vacation days saved up. I think it's high time I use them. Besides… I've always wanted to visit Maine and this Storybrooke town does sound nice."

Emma's eyes snapped to his instantly, her jaw dropping just slightly at his announcement. Yet there was no mistaken the fire that burned in her green eyes, smoldering him with her anger. Yeah, he kinda figured she wouldn't like the sound of him leaving New York, but they had to be adults here. This was for Henry and seeing his entire face just _light_ up at the prospect that his dad was coming back made the risk of upsetting her all the more worth it. So her subtle hint for him to decline totally backfired, and maybe now, she will start acting like he existed after all.

His other family was also as pleased to hear his decision. Even his father had a small smile on his lips, which made Neal feel a little bad. He was going for Henry—and Lily-Rose chimed in about her toys and her plans right then— _and_ Lily-Rose's sake. He was already half in love with his sister and he also happened to like Belle too. He still had a difficult time wrapping his mind over the thought of his scaly Papa and this beauty falling in love. Lily-Rose was their child that was no doubt, but the cynical side of him (and the Baelfire) suspected there was more to the story than either adult would let on.

He did have a moment alone with his future stepmother a while back and he had to ask her again if she made a deal with his father. If she did… he felt he would have no choice but to give his Papa a piece of his mind and it wouldn't be pretty. Yet, Belle placed her hands on his shoulders, squeezing him gently, as she looked him dead in the eye, and told him: "No. There was never a deal between us."

She proceeded to tell him her side of the story about the arranged marriage to Sir Gaston and how his poor father was ordered to stay in the dungeon.

"It started off with me bringing food to him. It wasn't fair nor right for him to be treated like a beast, and that was how my ex-husband saw your father—a beast. He wasn't a man or a human. I couldn't let such mistreatment continue under my roof and I attempted to bring some compassion to him to make his stay bearable. He resisted at first, as you can imagine. Your Papa is very independent and doesn't like to be viewed as helpless, but he had to endure it nevertheless. He knew right away that I did not love Gaston and he _did_ try to have me make a deal with him. However, I knew it wouldn't bode well for my betrothed so I continued to press my friendship in the hope that if I could prove he was no threat, then he would receive better treatment. I hadn't expected to fall in love or him either. It… happened. But I was bound by my word to marry Gaston and marry him I did."

Belle confided that despite Gaston being a decent man she could not give her heart to him. It wasn't right either, she agreed, to live in this sham of a marriage and make herself and the two men in her life miserable, but what choice did she have? She feared Rumple might seek revenge on Gaston, and she feared Gaston might kill him if he knew about the affair. Then she discovered she was pregnant and did not know who the father was or what this could mean if the child bore scales like the imp had. Her infidelity would be evident but the consequences could have had disastrous results once the kingdom discovered that their Queen and the Dark One were lovers.

She wasn't sure how much she should share after the pregnancy. The last thing she wanted was for Neal to continue thinking his father was an unchanged man after he left Belle and Lily-Rose. Even though she knew it was for her good and their daughter's… she feared Neal might not have felt the same and would do something regretful to further damage the fragile relationship he had with Rumple. Her fiancé suffered enough in that regard missing out on Lily-Rose's first year and she did not want his son to think he should avenge that separation. Belle bore Rumple no ill will and felt she made her peace once she awakened from her Curse. She would still blush thinking about how she put her imp in his place, but that was another story for another time. Neal didn't need to know the _exact intimate_ details.

Truthfully, Neal was blown away by Belle's story. He never thought his father had it in him to pursue a taken woman, and she was so earnest in how they did try to end things before it got out of hand but love found a way. There was no denying that what they had was True Love, and for Neal to learn that the idea was possible was extraordinary. True Love was something he remembered as a boy in the stories he heard growing up. Even when he spent time with the Darlings, Wendy talked about True Love all the time. He had never anticipated it could be a real thing… except when he met Emma. That had been a short time in his life for him to believe the concept was true. Yet presently? He didn't think the idea existed so much between them now, which did make him remorseful. Despite what Emma thought about him, he never forgot her for a single moment or the plans they had made once they sold those watches.

"You know what I'm talking about," Belle said, gazing at him with understanding. "It isn't easy. I believe it's never meant to be easy—True Love. The only thing that matters is if you are willing to fight for it in order to keep it. Once I got over my fears, I was prepared to fight for your father and be with him. We had our ups and downs, but we managed to conquer a Curse together so we can have that happy ending. We're a family again and with you in the picture… it makes our little family more complete. Give him time Neal. That's all I ask. Give him the time he deserves to prove himself and give yourself the time to prove yourself to Emma."

Indeed, Belle was quite the perceptive one. And wise too.

Neal took her words to heart and thought he should give his Papa a chance… But it wasn't easy to do when there was so much pain and resentment over what his Papa had done.

And Emma…

Well, that was something else entirely.

The truth was… he didn't know what to make of her after they first met. She was this young girl with this ponytail and thick-rimmed glasses that tried stealing his car (failing royally) but somehow wormed her way into his heart. It happened so quickly, so fast that Neal didn't question it at the time. All he knew was that he was missing something and Emma Swan was the one who made him whole again.

They had a lot in common besides thieving. She had no parents—an orphan—and was shipped from one foster home to the next, never settling and never finding someone who cares enough to keep her. He told her that he had a father somewhere, but that he had been abandoned due to his father's addiction. He was pretty close to being an orphan and it wasn't that far from the truth. His father was addicted—to power but it was an addiction nevertheless. He told Emma that his mother ran off when he was younger and his father was losing control so that when he tried to help him… Neal was left alone. She had been the only person to get the truth. Not even the Darlings knew that much about him, but there was something about Emma that had him wanting to be honest with her.

Thus, they bonded over the loneliness, and together, they knew they could do anything with the other by their side.

But it was scary how his feelings for her developed so quickly. Never in his whole life had he felt this way about a girl. And while every instinct was telling him to forget it, to leave her alone… Neal couldn't. He was drawn to her and now he can understand why. The son of the Dark One and the daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White—it was almost too perfect of a romance, practically star-crossed if he had to admit. Of course, he hadn't known that when he met her. Nevertheless, Neal fell hard and he wanted to give her everything she always wanted: a family.

If he had to be honest—that's what he wanted too—a family and a place to call home without the pain and betrayal that had followed in his previous life. This was a chance for a fresh start and with the girl of his dreams… what could go wrong?

Well, for starters, he had omitted certain things about himself; namely, he never told the truth of his real name or where he actually came from. He thought about it, even imagined telling her that he was really called Baelfire and he came from a place called the Enchanted Forest. Of course, she would think he was insane or something and leave him. But the more he thought about it… he thought why bring it up? That part of his life was over. Neal Cassidy was his identity now, not Baelfire, not the son of a coward or a powerful dark sorcerer. Just Neal—a regular guy from Michigan with no affiliation with magical beings.

He could pretend that everything was normal. This world was so different than his so it was easily done to forget. And as time went on, and those moments spent in Emma's arms, his old life did feel more like a dream.

Yes… everything had been going well until the watches. In hindsight, he never should have stolen them. If he hadn't… then he would have never met August Booth or Pinocchio or whoever the Hell he was. And he would have never learned about Emma's destiny. Of course, if he hadn't stolen the watches, then Emma would have never known the truth of her birth (and that had been a shocker) and she wouldn't have found her parents. She wouldn't have learned that it was love that sent her here and that they cared for her.

He supposed knowing was better than not, but it came at the cost of a broken heart. And he did the breaking.

Oh, he spent years thinking back to that moment in time when he should have told that smartass leather wearing puppet "screw you" and met up with Emma anyways. If they were caught, then they would have been caught together. Instead, he allowed August to convince him that this was the better course… that he was really doing Emma a favor in leaving her behind. His heart argued it was wrong and that this was unforgivable, but his head… His head was listening to that damn puppet and if he could give her that knowledge about her parents, then the sacrifice would be worth it. She would know that she wasn't given up because they didn't want her or love her. She was given up so she could have her best chance and be safe.

But couldn't he still have met up with her and told her truth?

Perhaps. Would she believe him? Probably not. He was more afraid that the truth would have her _leave_ him. Because he would have to confess who he really was in order for him to know who she was and she would feel betrayed he had lied to her all along.

So he took the coward's way out, behaving just like his father (which he swore he would never do), and he ran. He ran because he didn't want to be exposed as a liar that he was. He ran because he thought he was doing the right thing.

The days that followed were the worst. He had no idea what happened to her other than she was arrested, and as tempted as he was to see her one last time… he remembered what August told him and that he couldn't interfere with the breaking of the Curse. This was her destiny as the Savior and she could only realize her potential with him not in the picture.

The Savior…

It was such an important title and it almost didn't feel like that it was her, but wasn't it? She saved him, hadn't she? Perhaps his willingness to lose her would also save her too. It was backwards thinking, he knew that, but he had to believe that his sacrifice was worth it.

 _It had too_.

The last thing he expected was for her to end up pregnant. To learn that now… It was _gut-wrenching_. To think—Emma alone in jail with a baby, thinking the father no longer loved her…

Neal never wanted that. Neal never wanted any of that to happen. He could blame August all he wanted, but ultimately, it was his decision and he _chose_ to leave her behind and his son.

Maybe he and his Papa weren't so different after all.

xxXXxx

After dinner, they went back to the hotel to plan their trip back to Storybrooke. Rumple was adamant about the no flight return. So he and Belle decided they would go ahead and rent a car to drive back to Storybrooke. Lily-Rose didn't want to be separated from Henry and she wanted to fly again. That left Emma and Neal who were going to be in charge of the youngsters on the plane.

While it would give Neal the chance to become closer to his son and sister, it also meant he would be on an airplane with her. The kids would be a good buffer but when it came down to it… could they be civil to each other alone?

As it was, Emma was still quietly seething at him for agreeing to tag along and the last thing he wanted was for their tension to spill onto the children. Even now, she had reverted back to her pretending he wasn't there again, and if this continued, it would make for a very _long_ flight.

"Emma, can we talk?" he asked suddenly, interrupting the planning process.

She looked up at him, startled. Clearly, she wasn't expecting him to speak to her, not when she had made it clear she wasn't ready yet. Well, he was ready and she better hop on that damn train now if they want to get through this trip in one piece.

"Alone," he added, nodding his head to his balcony.

Her chin quivered but she locked her lips together as she stood up and turned towards the window to climb out to the balcony.

Henry gave his father an approving smile and a thumb's up, and Lily-Rose giggled her support. Neal stole a glance towards Belle as she winked at him and mouthed "good luck." He did slide his gaze over to his Papa who also seemed to approve his actions as he sent his son a reassuring grin.

Knowing he had the rest of his family's support did give Neal the extra boost of courage as he followed Emma outside.

Once he stepped out of the window, he turned to close it so they could have privacy. Then, taking a deep breath, he faced the blonde who already had her arms crossed in front of her and an unreadable expression on her countenance. She wasn't going to make it easy for him, not even give him a hint to her thoughts, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what might be brewing in that head of hers.

"Emma—"

"Wait." She held up her hand, silencing him. "Before you say anything Neal, let me say this: I'm not happy that you're coming back with us. But I get it. I do. Henry wants you there as does Lily-Rose and your father. The whole point of this excursion was to find you and have you come back to Storybrooke. That had always been the plan. Of course, I hadn't anticipated the extra bonus that it was, in fact, _you_ and as upset as I am… I'm willing to be a team player for Henry's sake. This is about him, not us. So I will promise you that I will be on my best behavior on the way there. However, as soon as we land in Storybrooke, I don't want to see you. I don't want to talk to you. But for Henry, I will be nice when he's around. Other than that, you keep to your business and I will keep to mine. Is that a deal?"

She was looking at him intently, expecting him to agree to this bargain of civility. He could respect her wish. After all, this was his fault and if he wanted to get back into her good graces, then he should accept whatever offer she gave him.

But he was stubborn and he was done doing what he thought was the right thing for sensitivity's sake.

"I understand you don't like me now. Hell, I don't blame you for hating my guts. I would too if I was in your shoes. But I cannot agree to those terms. I have to see you. I have to talk to you."

"Too bad. I don't want to. So I guess life is full of disappointments, huh?"

"Emma…" He closed his eyes, inhaling. "Please don't do this. We're adults and we can—"

"Yes. We are adults, but as far as I'm concerned, you are _nothing_ to me since I obviously didn't mean anything to _you_. This conversation is over."

Emma went to go around him, but remembering his talk with Belle and envisioning the disappointment on Henry's face if he knew his parents couldn't get along, and hearing her deliberate choice of diction… Neal blocked her.

"No Emma. You're not leaving until you hear what I have to say." His tone left no room for debate and he met her glare with one of his own. Indeed, the years had hardened her, but she was a survivor. She always has been and it was something he always admired in her. But for her to think that he _never cared_ … Well, that was going too far.

"First, that is not true. I have always _cared_ for you. That hasn't fucking changed, not now, not back then. So don't ever say that you mean nothing to me. Because you do Emma Swan. You mean the world to me."

"Really?" she rejoined tartly. "You sure have a funny way of showing that."

"I told you before—I fucked up. I know I did. You don't have to keep throwing that in my face—"

"—Obviously I do since you're so intent on forgetting what happened that ended us—"

"—Who's said I forgot? I have never forgotten that night! God, that night is the only thing I keep thinking about!—"

"—I must have missed that somewhere down the line when I was serving time for _your_ crime!—"

"—Yes you did but if I could trade places with you, then I would have in a heartbeat—"

"—Oh yeah? Where were you during those eleven months?—"

"—It wasn't that easy! I thought it was the right thing—"

"—Right thing? Are you kidding me Neal?! The right thing would be if you showed up when you promised you would! The right thing would be if you were there to take the fall since you stole them in the first place! The right thing would be not calling the fucking police—"

" _I never called the police_."

She balked at him, her eyes wide. Chest heaving, Emma grasped for words. "W-w-what?"

Breathing loudly through his nose, Neal repeated himself. "I said, 'I never called the police.'"

"O-of course you d-did!" she stammered. "The cop… he said that you—you left an anonymous tip! Y-you t-turned me in!"

"No Emma. I _didn't_. August wanted me to but I couldn't. I knew I was hurting you already by not showing up when I told you I would. I couldn't rat you out. So I gave him the information he needed and he made the call."

"Wait, what? August?" She was confused, flabbergasted. "You're lying. You have to be. August—"

"Look, I don't know how much August told you, but judging from your reaction, clearly not everything. He _found_ me Emma. He found me that night. He knew who I was and he told me you had a greater destiny at hand. He also told me that I was in the way and I was only going to hamper you from achieving your potential. He _convinced_ me that the right thing for you would be for me to leave you behind. And I—stupidly—believed him."

"Neal…" Her voice was so low but he didn't hear her.

"It is not my shining moment. I know that. And if I could go back and redo that entire evening—I would. But… I knew how much it meant to you to know who you really are. To know who your parents were and to know why they gave you up. August assured me that you would find out. He told me about the Curse and that your parents were trapped and only you could break it. He told me that you were the Savior. And me… I'm nobody. I'm the son of Rumplestiltskin and while he's someone you don't want to reckon with… I was a deadbeat. I was only going to bring you down and you deserved so much better than that. So when August offered me the chance to do right by you… I took it. And I have never regretted something so much as I did when I took his deal.

"Emma," he continued, without taking a pause. "I'm not asking you to forgive me. I'm not going to delude myself into thinking I deserve it. Cause I don't. But we have a son. I never thought it would ever happen to me, and seriously, I can't begin to tell you how excited I am that it was you and I that created him. And I don't expect you and me to be the best of friends after everything between us. I get that. I do. However, I do want us to try and be friends or something close for Henry's sake. I plan on being in his life and so it has to be something that we have to get used to. Can you accept that?"

He didn't expect anything from her. He only wanted her to hear his side and understand that he wasn't going to leave her, not when Henry was involved. He was planning on staying for the long haul so she had to get used to the idea that as the father… he wasn't going to pack up and leave.

Nonetheless, she astounded him by holding her hand out to him.

"Okay," she murmured, shaking his hand. "I can accept that."

Letting him go, Emma opened the window and ducked back inside. It took Neal a minute to recoup and realize what transpired right then and there.

Then, slowly, a grin broke across his face.

xxXXxx

It was an early morning for everyone as Belle and Rumple got Lily-Rose dressed before Neal stopped by the hotel. The little girl was excited to be going on the "airoplane" again and with her big brother too. Belle, on the other hand, was a little misty eyed to leave her daughter for the journey, but she trusted Neal and Emma to take good care of her. Although, it would have been nice if Lily-Rose _pretended_ to miss her Mommy and Papa as they separated.

"I suppose I should get used to it," Belle grumbled to Rumple as they climbed into their taxi that would take them to the rentals. "She will be going to school in a few years…"

"She's independent. Just like her mother," Rumple said with a wink that had Belle fighting back a smile.

"A little _too_ independent if you ask me."

Meanwhile, Neal and Emma had their hands full with the Dark One's brood and Henry. The former was baffled when Belle warned Lily-Rose not to use her magic at any point. He asked Emma while they were walking to their gate what that had been all about and the Savior smirked as she told him about the little "incident" involving the conveyor belt with their suitcases.

"She can do magic _here_!?" Neal exclaimed and earned a few strange looks from passersby. He was holding Lily-Rose as she let out a little giggle and placed her finger over her lips.

"Shh Bae," she told him. "It's a secret."

Moving her to his other hip, Neal lowered his voice as he whispered to Emma, "I thought magic didn't exist here."

"Yeah, well, your sister didn't get the memo on that one. Why are you so shocked? Lily-Rose told you already."

"I know but I thought it was kid talk. I didn't think she was actually serious." Neal frowned. "Oh boy…"

"Her dad's the Dark One. What did you expect?" Emma said.

They arrived at the gate and since it wasn't loading time yet… the group found some empty chairs to sit. Lily-Rose made herself comfortable being on her big brother's lap while Henry sat next to his father. Emma wanted to sit beside Henry but someone else was already there and her only other option (besides moving away from them) was next to Neal. So she did… reluctantly.

At least some of the awkwardness was gone since Neal was still stunned over the revelation about his baby sister. It meant they could focus on that and not the other elephant in the room. Of course, Emma was rethinking that Gold and Belle had the right idea after all about that road trip. Maybe she wouldn't be feeling like the fourth wheel at the moment. Hell, being the third wheel to them would be much better than suffering the silent treatment from her son and his undivided adoration to his father.

"Wow…" Neal murmured.

She arched her brow as she cocked her head to the side. "You're still on that?"

"Can you blame me? I know he was cursed but I didn't think something like that could be passed on."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Well," he started. "For starters, my Papa was an ordinary _and_ normal man. He was a spinner, even owned a small farm. Trust me when I say there wasn't a magical bone in his body. So for Lily-Rose to inherit something that wasn't exactly genetic is shocking. Of course, magic always comes with a price so why shouldn't this?"

"You don't sound thrilled. Lily-Rose would be disappointed," she pointed out.

"If you saw the things I did and how magic can break up a family… you wouldn't be a fan either," he said and that ended the subject.

Henry and Lily-Rose filled up the time reading Henry's book and Neal listened to the stories and supplied what he knew at the time. That led to Henry asking him more questions about life in the Enchanted Forest and Neal obliged with some old childhood tales (the happier ones) until Lily-Rose announced she had to go to the bathroom.

Confused and a little lost, Neal looked to Emma on what to do. She couldn't help the little roll of her eyes and the smirk at the corner of her mouth as she got up and took the little girl's hand in her own. As much as she would have loved to see him handle _that_ situation, it wasn't fair for the child who really had to go.

Emma took her to the ladies' room and Lily-Rose told her (quite confidently) that she could do this by herself. So the Savior watched, impressed, that the two-year-old did exactly that, but then again, considering who she was… this had to be a walk in the park. When Lily-Rose was done and her hands freshly cleaned, they walked back to the boys just as it was announced for their plane to load.

 _Storybrooke… Here we come_ , Emma thought as Lily-Rose ran back to Neal so he could carry her. Henry was quickly putting his book back in his backpack and Emma gave him a small smile when he looked at her. There was a flicker of a grin being returned before Henry moved to walk beside Neal. The blonde picked up her bag and began to follow them when she overheard someone mention how lovely that family was and how the little girl looked like her father.

Cheeks burning scarlet-red, Emma faced them as she quickly stammered, "We're not a family. That's his sister. We're… old friends."

The couple blinked at her, not sure how to respond, but Emma turned around and followed the others so they could board.

As for the flight itself, it could have been a major disaster, which unfortunately it wasn't. However, there was one incident that involved another passenger's drink to turn from a Coke to a Pepsi that had Henry laughing and a straight-face, tight-lipped look on Lily-Rose's. Neal was flabbergasted that she pulled a trick after Belle told her not to use magic, but Lily-Rose explained in her inane way that the person was mean to the nice lady who was giving them snacks.

"And they don't know it was me," she whispered.

"That's not the point Lily-Rose," Neal said, sighing. "You can't do that. As harmless as it was… you can't change a person's drink. Even if it seems they deserve it."

"But Bae…" she softly whined.

"No buts Lily-Rose," he told her. "You promised your Mommy no magic."

"Okay. No more. I promise," she vowed.

The rest of the flight was quiet with Henry barely speaking with Emma. He did make some small talk with her about school and how he couldn't wait for Grandma and Grandpa to meet his dad until he remembered Regina.

"Regina?" Neal repeated.

Henry nodded. "My adopted mom. She's the Evil Queen."

"Oh." Then, "Wait, Evil Queen?"

That led into another hushed conversation so there wouldn't be any eavesdroppers. By the time Henry finished his story, Neal's eyes were so wide he looked to Emma wordlessly.

"I know. That's my world right now," she admitted.

As for the two adults, themselves, talk was restricted to what the kids were saying and doing. Emma did include some details that were left out about the town and some of the people, but for the most part, as promised, she didn't go further or volunteer any more information than was necessary. She accepted that he would be in their lives and that was more than he could ask for, but Neal wished she would try to be friends… even for a short time.

The plane landed in Boston and once they departed… they picked up Emma's Beetle from the parking structure so they could finish the rest of the drive. Upon seeing the old yellow bug, Neal's face lit up.

"I see you kept it."

"It's a good car. Nothing more."

Henry and Lily-Rose looked at each other, both silently shaking their heads.

They stopped to grab a quick bite to eat and Emma called to check to see how Belle and Gold were doing. The couple was making excellent time on the way to Maine. As much as Belle wanted to explore more of the country, she knew they hadn't planned it properly and she didn't want it to feel like they were taking advantage of her and Neal for watching Lily-Rose. They agreed to meet in Portland so they could all drive back to Storybrooke together in the bug.

Of course, the significance of this location wasn't lost by Emma and Neal, but they wisely chose not to comment on it or mention it to Henry this was where they first met. In fact, they purposely avoided the places and areas the two had hung out and looked for places that would be neutral or had less history between them.

With a lot of time to kill, Neal and Emma and the kids parked the car and walked around the city. They window-shopped, bought some snacks, and drove to the park that Henry pointed out. It was a good place for the kids to stretch their legs and blow off some energy as they patiently waited for their two other companions. As they played on the playground, Neal and Emma sat on a park-bench and watched them. For a while, neither spoke since they didn't want to ruin the mood or the false sense of friendship that was created for the kids' sakes. After ten minutes lapsed, Neal began chuckle quietly to himself.

"What's so funny?" Emma asked and instantly regretted breaking the silence.

"Lily-Rose," he answered, glancing at his ex. "I can't get over how she changed that Coke to a Pepsi. It's not the type of dark magic I would imagine the Dark One to use let alone his child."

Despite herself, Emma cracked a grin at the memory. "Yeah. That was pretty funny. Of course, depending on who you are talking to… that was the epitome of dark magic if you're not a Pepsi fan."

Silence fell over them.

Neal rested his elbows on his knees as he rubbed his hands together, mainly to keep himself occupy as he watched Lily-Rose and Henry commence in a game of tag with a few other kids playing. He wanted to talk to Emma more—make some more progress between them after what was said last night. He thought they reached some understanding, but now they were back to square one and he didn't know how else to break from this rut. At least they weren't screaming at each other so that had to count for something, right?

"So, uh, who else lives in Storybrooke?" Neal asked, disturbing the quiet. "If you don't mind me asking…"

"Oh. I thought Henry told you…"

"He did. A little. The thing is… most of those people I have never met before. So I don't know who they are, but I've seen enough Disney movies from this land to get the gist of it."

"Oh." Emma looked down at her feet, wondering if she should get involved in this. This was another conversation, and while it wasn't about _them,_ she did think it was an odd thing for him to ask considering where he came from. "Well, there's Snow White, Prince Charming, the seven Dwarves, Jiminy Cricket, Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and her Prince (who has a daughter by the way), and you know, fairy tale characters. Your old friends I guess."

"That would be nice but I highly doubt my old friends are there."

"Why do you say that? Henry told me that pretty much everyone from the Enchanted Forest was sent here by your father's Curse."

"That might be true but everyone you mentioned wasn't born when I was a kid."

Emma did a double-take. "I'm sorry— _what_!?"

He sheepishly shrugged. "My dad's over 300-years-old. He had me when he was human remember? No magic in me."

"Yeah but… I thought that was an exaggeration. Like Biblical years exaggeration."

"Nope. It's quite literal I'm afraid."

"So that means you're…?" Then without warning, Emma punched him in the arm.

Neal yelped and rubbed the spot as he looked at her with incredulity. "Hey! What the Hell was that for?"

"You're freaking old! That's what for! Oh my God… I can't believe—No wonder you got me to like you!"

Now, it was his turn to do a double-take. " _What_?! Why would you say that!?"

"I don't know because you're ancient and been around the block once or twice I bet," she said accusingly. "Seriously, how many girls were suckers to your charms?"

His bug-eyed look became even bigger. "How many…? Whoa, Emma, you think I'm some kind of Don Juan and cradle-snatcher?"

"Not Don Juan but I would agree with cradle-snatcher."

"For the love of… None! Okay, none. And for the record, I never _took_ advantage of you. You tried carjacking _my_ car, remember? I thought you were cute, yeah, but who instigated our first kiss? Who _jumped_ me the first time we made—"

"Okay. But you could have—I don't know—resisted."

"Uh-huh. Resist a beautiful woman who wants me."

"I was young—"

"You _turned_ eighteen. Not to mention I'm not that much older than you."

"But you said…"

He sighed. "I know. Yes, my Papa is old and by all accounts, I should be dead by now. But it's not that simple. The Enchanted Forest… it has its own set of rules. Just like the other realms and places of time that are interconnected. Time is linear but at the same time it can be malleable and stagnant."

"Okay, come again?"

"My Papa and I were born like the people in this world. We grew up the same way with the same passage of twelve months as a year. When Papa became the Dark One… that made him immortal. Now, if I stayed, I would have aged normally but you have to understand… my father changed. Not for the best despite his intentions."

"What intentions were those?"

"The Ogre Wars were going on for years, even when Papa was a kid. When he married my mother, he was called to join the army. He went and it was on the frontlines that he crippled himself, branded himself as a coward, and returned home in shame and disgrace. For years, he and I endured the people's taunts and insults. He did the best he could to give me a good life, but it wasn't easy. Back then, if you were a coward, you were pretty much a pariah to the village. We were but they needed my Papa's skills as a spinner for their cloth and wool. He was the truly the best there was and everyone knew it. So we were never run out of town as a result.

"However, that didn't stop people from abusing him or paying less for what it was really worth. I would say by today's standards—Papa's wool would be worth anywhere from $500 to $1000 or more. But because he was a cripple and a coward… he was lucky to receive anything as payment for his work. Even in deals, Papa always got the short end of the stick. He never complained, though. He would put a smile on his face and put a positive spin on it. 'We're having a feast tonight Bae,' he would tell me. It might be a week old loaf but he looked on the bright side. Until I became older and came of age to fight in the Ogre Wars.

"Able-bodied men were getting in short supply so the Dukes and other nobles turned to using children to fight. It started off that you had to be seventeen and then it went down to when you're fourteen. Papa tried fleeing to save me but we were caught and we were told that I was going to be taken. I thought… maybe I should go. If I fought well then I might be able to repair my father's reputation. He wouldn't have to be the local coward if his son fought bravely. Yet, he found a way and became the Dark One. He prevented me from leaving to the frontlines and he even stopped it. He brought all the children home to their families. It was the only heroic thing he had done before the Dark Curse really took over and people were no longer insulting us. Instead, they _feared_ us.

"I wanted to break the Curse. Bring my Papa back to the good man he had been. Even if he was the coward. I tried looking for ways until I found out about this place where magic didn't exist. I knew if we came here the Curse wouldn't work and he would be my Papa again. Long story short: I went through the portal into a new world and eventually ended up in Neverland."

"Hold up. Neverland? As in Peter Pan and Neverland?"

"Don't get the family version confused with the reality. The truth is… I was stuck in Neverland for many years. And I mean _many_. I did escape and when I did—I found this place and I began to age normally. So when you met me… I was finally nineteen. Or how a nineteen-year-old should look."

"So you were fourteen for three centuries?"

"Yup," he said, popping the "p."

"You know that's like very teenager's worst nightmare."

"That's why I would never want to go back to being a teen again." Finally, looking at her, he added, "You were my first Emma. There's never been another after you."

A pale shade of pink stained across her cheeks and nose. She had her mouth opened to say something, but closed it and cleared her throat. The conversation was over and Neal, sadly, looked away from her. There it was. His secret was out and while Emma added another barrier to her walls again… At least he was able to get off his chest about who he was and how he came here. Of course, for her to think he was some kind of centuries old child molester was unsettling and disturbing. Maybe his story would help alter her perception of him and that he wasn't as bad as a guy that she wanted him to be.

Then again, he could never change how his actions affected her in the long run or how it brought Henry to this world and to this very moment. Perhaps he should face facts that it would never change between them. He would be lucky if Emma decided to call him a friend and nothing more. Maybe he should aim for that and be happy with it.

But deep down… Neal wanted more with her. He wanted to be back in her life again. He wanted what they had once and with Henry in the picture—they could be the family they always wanted.

Except things were different and Emma obviously didn't feel the same way about him anymore. She was tolerating him now and finally heard his tale, but that didn't mean anything changed.

xxXXxx

A couple hours passed and Emma's cell buzzed. It was Belle again and she and Rumple were dropping the car off at the rental place if they wouldn't mind picking them up.

"We'll be right there," Emma said and hung up. "Neal, why don't you round up the rug rats?"

"Okay."

Once Lily-Rose and Henry were ready, they walked back to the Beetle and drove to where Belle told them they were at. Lily-Rose was happy to see her parents again and ran straight into her mother's arms.

"Hi Mommy!" she squealed, hugging Belle tight.

"Hi yourself!" Belle laughed, squeezing her right back. Rumple had his turn with the same fierce hug before Lily-Rose wanted to be back on the ground.

"So… how was she?" Belle asked Emma and Neal.

They exchanged looks before Neal said, "She was great. Wonderful."

"No magic?" Rumple asked.

Neal shook his head. "She was good."

Lily-Rose's brow arched and Neal gave her a discreet wink. She knew her secret was safe with him.

"Let's get some dinner before the drive back into town. I know I'm famished. Rumple?" Belle asked.

"Sounds good with me," her fiancé agreed.

They decided on fast food since they still had an hour's drive to get to Storybrooke and the kids were getting tired. As soon as their bellies were full it didn't take long for Henry and Lily-Rose to pass out in the car.

Neal couldn't help but grin affectionately as his son's head was using his arm as a pillow.

"I can't believe I hadn't seen it before."

Neal twisted to face his father who was looking noticeably at Henry. "I always had a soft spot for the boy. He reminded me a lot of you and I thought—I thought it was because I missed you so much. Never had I imagined he would be my grandson."

"So… uh, he's like me?" Neal asked softly.

Rumple nodded. "He's smart, kind, and brave. Even reckless at times but he has a good heart."

"Yup that sounds like me."

"Um, have you given it much thought about staying with us? With me, Belle, and Lily-Rose?"

Back in New York, Belle had nudged Rumple to ask his son about staying with them. He did and Neal had said he would think about it. And now, he was left with the dilemma about where to stay in the meantime. Neal rationalized that staying with his Papa would make sense, but could he live under the same roof with him again? They still had a lot to work on and he didn't think jumping in and living together (even for a short time) would be a good idea. And as much as he would love to stay with Henry, he knew that Henry's adopted mother wouldn't go for it. Thankfully, Henry told him about Granny's Bed and Breakfast.

"I think I might stay at that B&B Henry told me about. But thank you for the offer," Neal said.

"Oh." Rumple's face deflated. He should have expected that but a part of him had hoped Bae would stay with them. "Well, if you change your mind… our door is open to you."

"I'll remember that Papa," Neal told him.

Hearing his son call him Papa warmed his heart. If anything it gave him hope that Bae and he might be able to turn things around.

It wasn't long before they saw the "Welcome to Storybrooke" sign and drove past the town-line.

They were home.

TBC…


	2. Part 2

A/N: Thank you again to everyone for reading and reviewing! I love coming back to this verse and here's a nice long chapter for all of you! Also, I joined Tumblr now so if you're on there and you're interested in following me… My name is erikstrueangel (no apostrophe). Furthermore, this is an AU. I won't say what I included but you have to keep in mind that the incident with Hook never took place. And one last note, I included a few Easter eggs in this chapter if you can spot them. I will throw in one clue: there is a cameo in here from this very cute and awesome movie called _Strange Magic_. Can you spot all three? Enjoy!

 **Part 2**

Driving down Main Street wasn't what Neal expected. Then again, he had no idea what to expect from a town called Storybrooke. However, it looked like any other small town with typical shops, restaurants, and houses.

All in all it was pretty average looking and normal.

It was also late and there wasn't a welcoming party in sight, which Neal visibly was relieved. Right now he was exhausted and wanted to crash for the night.

Emma drove up to Granny's B&B and parked. Turning off the ignition, she looked next to her with Belle holding a sleeping Lily-Rose and then behind her as Neal gently shook Henry awake.

"I have to go buddy," Neal whispered as Henry yawned.

Rubbing his eyes, Henry blinked sleepily at his father. "Okay. Will I see you tomorrow?"

Neal grinned. "Of course. Good night." Then on impulse, he leaned over to kiss his forehead. He noticed Emma out of the corner of his eye and the expression seemed to be one of remorse. Yet, she didn't say anything as he murmured his good nights to his sister, Belle, and even his father.

Stepping out, he went to get his suitcase from the trunk before heading inside.

xxXXxx

Dawn came too soon for his liking, but Neal felt slightly more refreshed than he had in years. Boy, Granny sure knew how to make a room comfy!

After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, Neal checked his cell to see he already had a couple of text messages from Henry. His smile widened as his son asked him if he wanted to meet for breakfast at the diner. He typed "yes" and grabbed his wallet.

The lobby was empty (Granny warned him with the lack of guests he shouldn't count much on someone waiting behind the counter) and she wasn't kidding. He headed straight for the door and in the direction of the diner. He wasn't surprised to receive a few odd stares here and there as he walked down the sidewalk, but he nodded to them and mumbled a "good morning" as his stomach gurgled with anticipation for nourishment.

Once he reached Granny's, he caught sight of Henry sitting in the back of a booth and he was anxiously waving him over. Then he turned and saw Emma across from Henry who was equally surprised to see him standing there.

"Neal," she said, her green eyes wide. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Henry invited me to have breakfast," he replied. He was hoping to have some one-on-one time with his son, but seeing his child's mother didn't damper his mood. Although he would be lying to say he wasn't disappointed.

"Oh." Emma faced the boy in question who was resolutely trying to hold back a grin as his cheeks flushed pink. "Seems to me you forgot to mention that little detail."

Apparently, Emma wanted some alone time with the kid too. She was hoping this breakfast date would lead into reconciliation between them after what happened in New York. Guess she was wrong in that regard.

"I wanted to eat with both of you," Henry explained. "And since Neal is new here, I thought it would be nice to show him around before I leave for school." In kid logic, it made perfect sense to compromise the situation with both birth parents present.

"You should have told us," Emma pointed out, but she really meant _me_.

"Well, since you're here now… you can join us," Henry told Neal with a hopeful gaze.

"I will." Neal slid in the seat next to him. "So what's good here?"

As Henry listed off his recommendations, Neal noticed how Emma was silently staring at her pancakes and scrambled eggs. She didn't lift her eyes from her meal to look at him but he could feel the awkward tension radiating from her. While they made some strides already with what he had shared with her… There was still an underlying issue between them. Emma now knew he never betrayed her like she had thought but he did betray her by leaving her alone. It was a lot to process and blend the new information with her previous knowledge.

Bottom line: she needed time and space. And him intruding on her time with Henry was palpable but how was he to know that their son was scheming? Maybe he should be more diligent and not rush as quickly when Henry contacts him just in case Emma is present. Yeah… that seemed like a good idea.

The waitress came to their table. She was giving him an odd look with a clear message written in her brown eyes: you better watch out. Seeing the streaks of red in her hair, Neal wondered if this was the Ruby Henry had mentioned. Red Riding Hood!

"Can I help you?" she asked tartly and Emma had to choke back a snicker.

"Um…" Neal said, wondering why in the Hell did he feel trap with that look on the waitress' face. "I think I'll have the special with rye toast. Coffee, black."

She nodded tersely and sent Emma a sympathetic look before placing the order. It was also at that moment that Neal could feel all eyes on him as everyone seemed to be looking but not looking. Whatever their problems were… they could shove it. He didn't do anything wrong and he was going to enjoy his meal with his son.

Silence settled over his table as Henry ate and Emma picked at hers. Man… he really needed that coffee.

Ruby returned with his drink and a quick look at her name tag confirmed it was Ruby. He thanked her, which momentarily stunned her, but she muttered, "You're welcome" and hurried to her next table.

Henry sighed. "Sorry about that. I guess because you're in town and being the Dark One's son…"

"Ah." Neal replied, understanding coming to him, although he shouldn't have been surprised. He experienced that as a teen back in the Enchanted Forest. Since he had been away from that place for so long, he forgot how the people could be. "Well, they have nothing to fear. From me at least."

"Yeah but it'll take time. From my book… Mr. Gold did a lot of bad things—I mean, Grandpa."

Neal chortled. "I have a thick hide so I can handle the rude stares. As for Papa, I thought he changed."

"He has," Emma chimed in to his astonishment. "Or so he claims and Belle too. I don't know. I'm not actually a fan."

"I don't blame you," Neal commented. "Well, we have to see. And there's the wedding too."

On the drive back, Belle chatted about the upcoming nuptials and what needed to be done still. Then to Henry's delight—he was asked to be the ring-bearer.

"Lily-Rose is going to be the flower girl," Belle said. "What do you say Henry?"

His reply had been a resounding (and loud) "YES!" It was nice that his father and his fiancée included his son into the festivities when they didn't have to. When Henry was sleeping, Rumple told him that they were planning on asking him all along.

"It's just an added bonus that I know he is my grandson," Rumple said.

And Henry was _definitely_ looking forward to the responsibilities.

Not long after Emma reminded Henry he was going to be late for school. Neal's food finally arrived and he only managed two bites just as Henry groaned.

"Do I have to?" he asked.

"Yes."

He looked to Neal who (sadly) understood. "Afraid so. But that's okay. After school we can hang out."

That seemed to lift Henry's moods as he sidled out of the booth. Picking up his backpack from the coat rack, Henry waved to his parents before running out to the bus. Now Emma and Neal were alone, but the Sheriff had to get to work so she murmured her goodbyes and left.

"Welcome to Storybrooke," Neal muttered to himself, raising his coffee mug in a mock toast when another diner glared at him.

xxXXxx

After he finished breakfast, Neal decided to roam around and see what Storybrooke had to offer. While he occasionally received the odd look or two, he did meet some friendly people who weren't afraid to approach him. One of them was Archie or Jiminy, as he said, but he much preferred the former. He was walking his dog, Pongo, and Neal earned himself a wet and sloppy kiss.

He spoke to Archie for a few minutes and learned quite a bit about his father. Whether or not the search for him was selfishly motivated (á la Rumplestiltskin), Archie was pleased to see that Neal had returned with them.

"It's not easy for him to confide in people, but he did come to me a couple of times," Archie revealed. "The Dark One does have a lot of regrets, mainly involving you. He was worried this reunion would not result with you coming back so I'm glad to see that those fears were unnecessary. And he has come a long way with Lily-Rose and everything."

"So… he's been in her life?" Neal questioned.

"Well, you have to remember, we were cursed with false memories and no one was allowed to have a happy ending. He wasn't present in her life—actually no one knew that Mr. Gold and Izzy (Belle really) were together. Then to learn that he was the father of her child and not her husband… you can imagine the shock."

Neal could. After what Belle and his father told him about their relationship, he would have a hard time believing it was true unless there was a sinister motive attach to it.

"But he spends every waking moment with that little girl. I see them all the time in his shop, in the park, and even getting ice cream. He really is a good father, which I know there are some people here who still think otherwise. But Belle loves him and Lily-Rose adores him. The only ones that matter are the ones that are in his life, which now includes you too."

If the cricket was endorsing Rumplestiltskin, then that had to count for something, right? However, learning that his papa went to see a psychiatrist was a new development. All his life, Neal could remember that his father never would turn to another for help. So to find out that he had and to learn about his fears concerning him…

Well, Archie didn't have to know that it was Henry that had him coming to Storybrooke, not his father. So perhaps there was truth to those fears of his father's. Yet Neal kept his lips sealed as they went their separate ways.

Furthermore, what Archie said had stuck with him about his sister. The Curse separated his father from his daughter, but now he was being the father to her. The one that Neal longed for, the one that Neal missed…

Maybe there was good left in him. There had to be for someone like Belle to fall in love with the imp. Funny. Neal didn't think that would be possible, but he had this strange and overpowering sensation to see his papa and…

 _No. Not now. I can't_ , he told himself. If he sought out his father, then he was afraid Rumple would get the wrong impression and it would be uncomfortable and difficult and that was the type of mess he wanted to avoid entirely. Maybe another time. He wanted to focus on Henry and spending time with his sister and soon-to-be stepmother. He did like Belle and she would be a good buffer for his father and him. But as of right now he wanted to do one thing at a time and deal with the emotional aspects later.

He didn't explore any further (wanting to save that with Henry) and walked back on the opposite side where he came upon the clock tower and library. He remembered Belle saying something she was working on getting it back in working order so it could reopen to the public. He thought a visit would be nice.

He was immediately greeted by a blurring figure that wrapped herself around his leg. Neal couldn't help but laugh as he ruffled Lily-Rose's hair and scooped her up so he could give her a big bear hug.

"Hi Neal! I didn't expect to see you so soon," Belle greeted, appearing from behind a shelf of books. "I hope Lily-Rose didn't have you lose your balance."

"Naah. I'm good," he assured her. "I thought I would pop in and say hello. See what this little demon is up to."

"I am _not_ a demon. Mommy!" Lily-Rose protested.

"Now, now children," Belle chided, fighting back her laughter. "Be nice or I will put you on timeout."

"We don't want that, do we Squirt?" Neal asked his sister who decided that timeout was not a good idea.

"Nope!"

"We'll be good," he told Belle.

The beauty pursed her lips together and shook her head. "You two are something else. If you don't mind, Neal, would you like to help us?"

"Sure!" He grinned and set Lily-Rose back on the ground. "What do you need?"

They spent the next hour dusting, cleaning, and stacking some of the book shelves. Well, Belle and Neal did. Lily-Rose kept them entertained with her reading and singing songs. Then Belle checked her watch and said she had to go over to Game of Thorns to see how that was doing. Neal asked if he could tag along and Belle was happy to have him to do so.

"You can keep Lily-Rose busy," she told him with a conspiratorial wink that had the little girl claiming she wouldn't make that one plant talk again. That had Neal curious so Belle told him about the prank Lily-Rose pulled on one of her employees. It involved a little paper cut and a Venus Fly Trap, which the employee was standing close to it. "The next thing you knew—the plant was begging Seymour for more blood to grow. The poor man freaked out as you can imagine."

"I bet," Neal said.

Belle sighed. "It was harmless and she did return the plant back to its original non-talking self, but I know she gets that from her father. I just hope she won't be too much of a handful when she gets older."

"I pulled a few pranks when I was younger. Nothing like that, of course, but not to worry. I'll make sure as her big brother to keep her in line."

"I said I would be good!" Lily-Rose exclaimed petulantly.

And she was.

While Belle was checking the books and running some things over with her manager, Lily-Rose took Neal's hand and showed him around, pointing at the different flowers and plants and telling him their names in the only way a toddler could do.

"That is a bluebell, a camel-lis (camellias), dadophil (daffodil), and that white and pink one is a primerose (primrose)!" she stated proudly.

"Wow!" Neal told her; completely impressed she knew the names even though the pronunciation was off. Then again, she probably spent a lot of time here during those twenty-eight years trapped and cursed. "Those are sure lovely."

"Yup," she said. "I know! Let's get one for Emma!"

He did a double-take. "For Emma?"

"Yeah!" Lily-Rose bobbed her head. "She likes this one!"

Tugging on his hand with all the force she had (and, Neal admitted, she was pretty strong), she brought him over to the lilacs and pointed to the purple petals. "She comes over here all the time. I think it's her favorite."

Neal didn't know much about flowers, but he had to admit, the purple lilacs were pretty with its bright green leaves and clusters of tiny purple heads. Maybe as a peace offering that would be a nice gesture. Unless she decided to take it the wrong way and think he was trying to win her back (which he wanted), even though he promised her he wouldn't push her into anything (which he wouldn't). It was a catch-22 and despite Lily-Rose's innocent suggestion… Neal didn't think it was a good idea. Yet, the little girl's enthusiasm combined with the allure of its floral scent and bright colors did make him wonder if it would be okay after all.

Then again, who would have thought that a decision over a flower would be so difficult?

In the end, Neal decided to get a mixture. He selected a stalk of the lilacs along with a white tulip and a pink primrose with a yellow center. The colors blended well together and he thought they were pretty. Lily-Rose approved his choices and when she wasn't looking… he grabbed a bluebell and a daisy for Belle and Lily-Rose respectively.

Taking his flowers to the counter, Neal was greeted with the giddy sighs of the salesgirl. She was slim and petite, no older than late teens or early twenties, with short blonde hair that stuck out over her ears, and the widest blue eyes he had ever seen. She also seemed to have a permanent smile since the corners of her mouth never faltered.

"These are so beautiful!" she gushed as she wrapped up Belle's and Lily-Rose's flowers in their own tissue paper, matching them with their respective petal colors. When it came to Emma's grouping, she shared, "This is an interesting bunch you have here. Do you know what these mean?" Neal opened his mouth to tell her she didn't have to but she beat him to the punch. "These tulips mean 'forgiveness' and these lilacs are 'first love.' Did you and your girlfriend have a fight?"

"I wouldn't call her my girlfriend exactly…" he trailed off.

"Well, she will love these. It clearly means you're thinking of her and that you love her. And a primrose! This is perfect to get your message across. You two will definitely make up once she sees this."

"Why?" he asked a bit curious.

She giggled. "Maybe I'll let you find out on your own. But I can assure you it's nothing bad. In fact, I have a soft spot for primroses now. If it weren't for these troublemakers, then my boyfriend and I wouldn't be together. The same with my older sister and her husband. Of course, it's kind of ironic considering how he wanted to destroy them, but now he insists they have them in the house. Men, right?"

"Yeah. I guess so." Neal chuckled awkwardly.

"Voila!" she exclaimed once she had them wrapped up nice and neatly. She even went as far to tie a white ribbon around the purple tissue paper to make it presentable. "She can't help but fall in love with you all over again with this!"

Neal blushed at her words. "Well… I don't know about that. I just want to give her something to show I care."

"Nonsense! Do you love this girl?"

"I—"

"Hey Neal. I'm all done here," Belle said as she emerged from the back. Seeing his bouquets, her smile blossomed. "You didn't have to buy my stock to get on my good side, you know," she teased.

"I couldn't help myself. These are probably the freshest and best looking flowers I have ever seen," he told her sincerely. Handing Belle the bluebell, he then bent down to give Lily-Rose her daisy who squealed with delight.

"Thank you Neal," Belle said her smile dazzling. "Lily-Rose?"

"Thank you Bae! You guessed my favorite!" his sister told him, holding the flower close to her nose so she could inhale its fragrant scent.

"And who is that one for?" Belle asked, nodding to the other bouquet in his hand. "Hmm? Emma?"

"Do you think I should?"

"Of course. Women love getting flowers from men and Emma will be no different. Has Dawn told you what they mean?"

"I told him except for the primrose. I figured that would be a surprise in itself," Dawn replied, winking at her boss.

Returning her wink, Belle remarked, "Sometimes I don't know what I would do without Dawn. She knows her flowers better than I!"

Dawn beamed at the compliment. "I did spend my whole life surrounded by them. It's only fair that other people know what they mean so they can give a meaningful gift to their loved ones. Come back if you need more," she added as she looked at Neal.

"Um, yeah…" He mumbled, not sure if this was going to be well-received or not.

"Take care Dawn," Belle told her.

"I will!" she chirped. "Bye Lily-Rose!"

"Bye Dawn!" Lily-Rose said as the three left. Once outside, the toddler announced she was hungry and one look at the clock tower read it was lunchtime.

"Neal, would you like to join us?"

He grinned. "Sure."

This time the reception at the diner was indifferent when Neal entered. The novelty probably wore off. That or the townspeople realized he didn't possess a single trace of magic in him so as long as people weren't being turned into snails… life was good. Either way, it didn't matter to him. He wasn't looking for their approval; although, it was nice that Ruby was friendly towards him now. Perhaps he passed some test he wasn't aware of this morning.

While they waited for their food, he asked Belle about the wedding plans. "So far we have most of it already arranged before New York. There are only a few minor details left before the big day. We are having a small ceremony in the park. I already had the big wedding and I wasn't a fan of the pomp and circumstance."

He could imagine with Belle being a princess what those details were like. "So, uh, when _is_ the big day?"

"This Saturday."

"That is soon," he commented. Only five days to be exact.

"Yes, well, we wanted to make it official sooner rather than later. We spent our time apart for far too long."

Neal couldn't blame her. "I'm sure it will be great."

"You know," Belle said off-handedly. "You are invited to come. We're family now Neal. And—" Flicking her lashes at him as those azure orbs of hers pierced his. "—your father would like it."

His father. The elephant in the room was finally being addressed, and Neal shouldn't have been surprised. She was engaged to marry his father after all. But talking about him reminded Neal about the past and he wasn't comfortable discussing it yet. At least not with Belle and in front of his little sister. However, the toddler was blissfully coloring away on her placemat and didn't pay her mother or her brother any heed.

"Yeah. I'm sure he would," he murmured, casting his gaze out the window.

Belle reached over and placed her hand over his. "Neal," she said softly. "I know this is a lot to take in. You and Rumple really do need to talk. It's the only way you two can heal and move on with your lives."

"It's—it's not simple," he confessed, moving his hand away from hers. Threading his fingers together in his lap, he lifted his eyes to his future stepmother. "Look. I know you mean well. I get that you love him and it wasn't a deal or anything between you. I do. But it's not easy. You don't know the pain he caused me."

Her expression was at once solemn and somber. "I believe I have a pretty good idea."

"I don't think you do—"

"He has nightmares," she interrupted. "They're awful. Most nights he wakes crying and screaming your name. Sometimes it's difficult for him to go back to sleep after a particular bad one. I was worried with the adjoining rooms we shared with Emma and Henry that they would hear him, but being in the city… knowing he was close to you… kept the nightmares at bay. And since we found you—he hasn't had one." Pausing, Belle took a deep breath. "I understand you won't be the best of friends overnight. I wouldn't expect it. But you could at least try to get to know him before deciding if you want to continue a relationship with him or not. All I ask is that you don't throw this opportunity out."

"I don't know," he admitted. "I take it you're close to your father, huh?"

Belle's smile softened. "We were. He passed away in our land."

"I'm sorry."

"There was a time that I almost hated him," she went on. "The ogres were attacking our kingdom and we were running out of resources and men to stop them. So my father took it upon himself to arrange a marriage between myself and a knight from a neighboring kingdom so we could have the means to fight back. I understood the political intentions and it was a good match, however, I never met the man that was to be my husband. I didn't love him. All I wanted was to have a choice in deciding who I was to marry and that was taken away from me. I accepted Gaston's offer out of duty to my people, but in return, I also looked at my father differently. He promised me he would never put me in that position. He broke that promise and I was angry."

Belle closed her eyes against the wave of memories that brought. "So I understand anger. But I knew I couldn't live the rest of my life holding a grudge. It took time but eventually I forgave him. So don't punish your father while he's doing that to himself. You both have suffered enough."

Neal did have enough sense to look chastened. Could he really spend the rest of his life loathing his father? But could he really forgive him for what he had done? Belle was right that they suffered enough, but could he get to know him despite what had happened?

Looking at Lily-Rose, still drawing away, he couldn't help the tiny flicker of a smile teasing his lips. "He's been good to her?" he questioned.

"Yes. She's part of his world."

"She's lucky."

"It hasn't always been like that," Belle said. "Rumple's afraid he will do the wrong thing. Losing you shook his confidence as a father."

He couldn't help the snort that escaped. Belle narrowed her gaze at him. "That attitude needs to stop," she told him reproachfully. "Has he made mistakes? Yes. But who hasn't? _Your_ father spent centuries looking for you. When he found a way, he took it. He loves you very much. He would do anything to take back that moment if he could. Now, sooner or later you will have to be in the same room as him. It's best you get it out in the open before it consumes you."

"Here's your cheeseburgers and fries," Ruby said, interrupting the heated exchange as she obliviously handed Belle her food and Neal's. For Lily-Rose, she got a grilled cheese sandwich. "Can I get you anything else?"

"No thank you Ruby. Neal?" Belle asked.

"I'm good."

"All right." Ruby turned away.

As they quietly ate, it was a couple of minutes later that Neal said, "I don't want to spend the rest of my life hating him."

"That's a start," she told him with a reassuring smile.

xxXXxx

Neal insisted on paying for lunch despite Belle's protests. It was the least he could do before they went their separate ways.

He gave Lily-Rose another hug and turned to Belle to thank her for the advice when she held her arms open as an invitation for a hug. It was all very natural for him to slip his arms around her as he gave his future mother an embrace. In fact, it was getting easier for him to see _her_ as his mother. Even though she didn't look that much older than he, Belle was much wiser and she was far more comforting and loving than his own mother. He guessed that among all his daddy issues there were also some mommy issues lurking in the background.

"Promise me you will think about what I said," she said.

"I will. Thank you Belle. See you later Squirt."

"Bye Bae!" Lily-Rose waved goodbye as both she and her mother headed to her car, still holding her daisy like it was a precious jewel.

Speaking of flowers…

Neal looked at the bouquet in his hand. He knew he should go look for Emma to give them to her. He just hoped that she wouldn't throw them back at his face or worse… stomp on them. Not that he thought that Emma would overreact that way. But there was always that niggling sense of dread and rejection that could happen.

As he walked, he thought back to what Belle said. Maybe he was being too hard on the old man. But does that mean he should excuse everything that his father had done? Well, he knew she was right that he would have to have a talk with him before it was too late. They did leave a lot of things unsaid back in New York and they were being cautious around each other as long as other people were present.

He thought about stopping at his father's shop, but going in there without a plan wasn't a smart move. Not that his father would take advantage or try to rope him into an unwanted deal. But Neal wasn't sure what he was going to say or how to prepare himself for whatever his father wanted to tell him.

Clutching the flowers reminded him of Emma.

Yes… he needed to focus on one thing at a time.

 _Sorry Papa_ , he thought. _I'm putting you on the backburner. I need to talk to Emma._

First, he stopped at the Sheriff's station, but she was nowhere in sight. He thought about leaving them behind with a note and then thought against it. He wanted to see her reaction when he handed them to her. That and he couldn't think of anything creative to say in a note other than _From, Neal_.

He checked his watch and saw he still had another hour before Henry was done with school. He was hoping to catch Emma before that so he wouldn't have an audience if his gift failed.

Stepping out, he headed back down on Main Street and in the direction of the inn. Maybe he should put these guys in some water just in case he…

Slowing his pace down, Neal saw a police car parked outside Mr. Gold's Pawnshop. He stopped as his blood ran cold.

Something bad happened.

xxXXxx

Neal resumed his brisk pace just as Emma and a flaxen-haired man came out of the shop. He was young, attractive-looking, and Neal felt his heart skip a beat. Could the reason Emma might not want anything to do with him was because she was involved with another man? And why not? She was beautiful, smart… Plus they looked like they made a cute couple.

Realizing he was holding the stupid flowers, Neal couldn't trash them when Emma glanced in his direction.

"Neal," she said, surprised but not surprised. After all, this was his father's store. Not that he had any reason to even go there since he was doing what he could to avoid the man.

"Is…?" he trailed off.

"He's fine. There was a break-in but your father won't tell us anything." She was annoyed, which he couldn't blame her. His father had that knack.

"We should talk to Belle," the blonde man suggested. "If anyone can get Gold to talk, then it'll be her."

"You're right about that," she muttered.

The man then began eyeing Neal, his brow raised during his assessment. "So… you're Neal, huh?" he stated. "I'm David Nolan. Emma's father." He stuck out his hand.

 _Father!?_ "Neal Cassidy." He pumped the other man's hand in greeting.

David's eyebrows rose higher. "Cassidy? Not Gold?"

"Uh, no," Neal answered, shifting his weight. "So I take it you're Prince Charming? Um, Henry told me who Emma's parents were."

"I usually go by David but yeah Charming is what I'm known as," David said, chuckling. "It's nice to finally meet Henry's father. You got an amazing kid I should tell you."

"He is. I'm hoping to get to know him more since I'll be staying for a while."

"That's good. You should come by the apartment sometime. I know Mary Margaret will love to meet you."

"Oh. Okay."

Emma coughed. "You know, David, it's possible that Neal might be busy. Besides, we have this break-in we need to investigate."

"Right." David looked once more at Neal with a grin. "Don't be a stranger Neal. Maybe we can chat later?" There was no mistaken his underlying tone. David may have looked around their age but he was a father first and foremost. Neal had no doubt he wanted to talk to him about his daughter and he didn't know what was scarier: the Dark One or the father of his son's mother?

Neal gulped. "Uh sure."

David nodded a look of satisfaction on his face. "Good. Are those flowers—?" Not at all subtly, he motioned to the clearly embarrassed Emma.

"Yeah. They are," Neal said. Clearing his throat, he turned and handed them to Emma who looked back and forth between the flowers and him. "Consider it a peace offering. For Henry's sake."

He was putting her on the spot, he knew it. He could tell from the deer in the headlights look on her face at the bouquet to the uncertainty as she glanced at David. She was going to refuse them. It was written all over but he played the Henry card and that was warring within her. When it came to their son, she would do anything for him and they both knew that Henry would want her to take the flowers. Even if it was just for show.

Barely showing her teeth, Emma held out her hand as she grabbed the bouquet. "There's lilacs," she said pointedly.

"Yeah. A little birdie told me that you liked them."

Her eyes softened and there was a brief glimpse of a smile before it all faded and she was back to raising her shields. "Bye Neal."

She went over to the driver's side of the police cruiser while David slipped into the passenger side. He gave Neal a wave as Emma drove off.

It wasn't how he envisioned meeting Emma's parents, but at least he knew that David was her father and not some potential suitor. It still gave him hope that he might have a chance after all.

But first…

Facing the entrance to his father's shop, Neal knew he was in there. He may have been relieved to hear that his father wasn't harmed, but knowing Rumplestiltskin, it was possible that trouble still existed.

Pushing the door opened, Neal stepped inside. It was evident from that start that the place was broken into considering that everything seemed to be in shambles or disturbed from its original place. Whoever did this was obviously looking for something and he couldn't help but wonder what in the world did his father have in his possession that would make some poor fool reach this level.

"I thought I told you I'm not telling you anything else—" Rumple's voice trailed off when he saw it was his son. "Bae! I mean… Neal. Wh-what are you doing here?"

"I saw the police car and Emma. She said there was a break-in." Throwing his arm off to the side, he demanded, "What the Hell happened here?"

"It's nothing."

"Like Hell it's not," he argued. "What was it? Who did you piss off that led to this?"

"So there has to be a person that's pissed off?" Rumple scoffed.

"Yeah. That's what you do best. Honestly! Why can't you stop taking things from other people as part of your deals? You say you've changed but that's not what I'm seeing."

"Did you come here just to confront me about my business transactions or is this your way of showing your concern?"

"No. I want to make sure that you don't go after the poor bastard."

"What makes you think I will?"

"Because, sadly, I _know_ you. I know how you get when you feel you've been _double-crossed_ or wronged. So you're going to call up Emma and tell her everything she needs to know, including what was taken and who it was so she can handle it. That's why the town has a Sheriff." Neal crossed his arms.

"I'll be doing no such thing."

Neal sighed. "Dear Lord you have gotten worse after all these years. Just because you're the Dark One and you have all this power doesn't mean you can go around enacting your own sense of perverted justice. I never liked it when I was a kid and I still don't. I can only imagine how Belle must feel about this."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Do I?" Neal challenged. "Whatever it was, I'm sure it's not worth you keeping it to yourself."

Rumple clenched his fist around his cane. For a second, he couldn't reply because it might not have meant anything to Bae, but it sure meant the world to _him_.

Shaking his head, Neal turned on his heel and walked out. As the door shut behind him, Rumple softly whispered:

"It was your scarf."

xxXXxx

It was close to three o'clock by the time Neal showed up at the elementary school. He hung out by the fence so he could watch the main doors for when Henry came out. As soon as Neal checked his watch to see the big hand reach three, he heard the school bell ring out and the doors burst opened with a flood of happy students.

He saw Henry among the crowd and held his arm up to get his attention. The boy's smile was infectious as he ran up to his father and threw his arms around his waist. Neal put his arm around him and gave him a quick squeeze.

"Hey, kiddo! How was school?"

"Great! Oh! I told my teacher, Ms. Blanchard, that you were picking me up today and she wants to meet you. Actually, I should say… Grandma." Henry chuckled sheepishly. "C'mon! She's right there."

Taking his father's hand, Henry pulled Neal towards a young woman who looked no more than a day over thirty with a pixie haircut of ebony and a welcoming smile on her face. In all appearances, she didn't appear like the fearsome princess from what his son told him. She actually looked like a third-grade teacher with her mint green dress and pale yellow cardigan.

Flashing his best smile, Neal shook her hand and automatically realized that Emma inherited her eyes from her mother. They even had the same chin. It would have felt surreal for him to meet his former flame's mother who was practically the same age as her, but he was a former resident of the Enchanted Forest. Anything was possible when magic was involved.

"So you're Neal," Mary Margaret said, giving him a similar look-over like her husband did. "It's finally nice to meet you."

"Likewise. I can see where Emma gets her good looks from."

Mary Margaret laughed. "Wow! And a charmer too."

"Isn't this neat?" Henry piped up, looking expectantly at the adults. "You have to meet Grandpa too."

"Actually, I did," Neal said. "Apparently, there was a break-in at my Papa's shop. He wasn't hurt but he wasn't exactly forthcoming when Emma and your grandfather were there."

"That sounds like Gold all right," Mary Margaret murmured. "No offense."

"None taken. He is a difficult man to deal with," Neal told her.

"Yeah but he's family. Actually, he's all our family now. Wow. I never thought I would say that about the Dark One."

"I think that's a fair statement for anyone," Neal commented. "Even me."

"I bet." Mary Margaret then asked, "So are you planning on staying in Storybrooke for long? Henry says you live in New York. That must be exciting."

"I plan on being here for the wedding. After that… I guess it depends on certain things."

"Uh-huh," she hummed, a particular glint in her eyes. "I'm glad to hear that. Well, I won't keep you guys for long. I know Henry is dying to show you around. I'll see you around?"

"Yes. Definitely."

"Excellent. Have fun!"

"We will!" Henry exclaimed.

"Oh, Neal!" Mary Margaret shouted as they began to walk away. "Before I forget, you should definitely come to the loft for dinner."

"I would love too," Neal told her. "Just let me know the day and time. I'm staying at Granny's B&B."

"I will." She winked and waved them good-bye.

"I can't wait. It'll be our first family dinner," Henry mentioned as he rested his hands on his backpack's straps. "The loft is pretty neat. You'll like it."

Neal didn't want to get his hopes up at the thought of a family dinner. Ideally, it would be a good opportunity for him to get to know Emma's parents and spend time with Henry. Of course, the only variable that would determine if the dinner went well or not was Emma herself. As long as she didn't throw him out then that would be a good evening. Unless she chooses to leave… He hoped she wouldn't.

Quelling his misgivings, Neal ruffled Henry's hair. "So, where too?"

Henry beamed. "The park!"

It wasn't that far of a walk from the school and Henry told him about his favorite place in the world: his castle.

"I went there a lot to read my book and think about the Curse. Of course, that was also the same place I took Emma to talk about Operation Cobra. Regina, my other Mom, ended up tearing it down because it got wrecked after a bad storm. She built a new playground and it's pretty cool but it's not the same as my old castle. To be perfectly honest, it looks a lot like the Evil Queen's castle. Not a lot of kids like to play on it, though."

And Neal could see why. The new playground didn't scream kid-friendly or a fun place to hang out. In fact, the word "sharp" came to mind when describing it. The two towers were covered with this silver plating that stretched out on top that if anyone were to climb the trees nearby and accidentally fall… they would certainly impale themselves. The slide was narrow and had a steep drop, and the drawbridge was on the ground. It could have used some bright colors to make it inviting, maybe some swings, and the silver plates had to go.

Henry didn't stop and kept walking past it. He pointed out several different bike and hiking trails, which Neal mentally noted he would love to try while he was here. The park led to the beach where they took off their shoes and socks and walked with the sand between their toes.

There was a nice breeze coming from the lake so the two sat down close enough so the waves would lap at their feet. Henry told him more about his school day, but mostly how he became suspicious that Storybrooke wasn't what it seemed to be. While Henry grew older and changed grades, the other students didn't age and they didn't change grades as often as he did. He tried telling his mom this (Regina) and how she didn't take him seriously. So far, Neal has yet to meet this Regina and while he didn't agree with a lot of things he heard about her, she did raise his son. He was grateful in that respect but the more Henry shared with him about Regina's treatment towards him, especially when he was becoming aware that this town wasn't what it seemed, the angrier he felt. Instead of coming clean and making him understand about this Curse, she made Henry think he might be crazy and ostracized him as a result.

"When will I meet Regina?" Neal asked.

Henry shrugged. "I haven't seen her since we left for New York. I haven't been on good speaking terms with her since the Curse was lifted. She's my Mom but she's also the Evil Queen. She has done a lot of bad things that she's not really sorry for and it worries me."

"I understand what you mean," Neal admitted, reflecting on his Papa and what happened after he became the Dark One. In the beginning, his Papa had done the right thing in saving the children's lives from the frontlines, but afterwards… he shivered just thinking about the things he witnessed and the things he hadn't witnessed but knew his Papa did something terrible. It was difficult to find forgiveness in those evil deeds, especially when his Papa never expressed any remorse. And it sounded like Regina was the same too.

"I want to find the good in her. I know there is because I've seen it when I was little. But now… I dunno. She still has done bad things and now she's disappeared. I have a sinking feeling she might be plotting something. Probably to win me back. She doesn't like Emma or Mary Margaret."

 _Poor kid._ Neal felt for him. If anyone knew about the issues that could stem from having an evil parent, then it was him. Yet, Henry had a good head on his shoulders and was fully capable of making the right decisions. At least Henry had other people to lean on for support. Neal didn't have that in the Enchanted Forest or most of his teenage life. The same with Emma.

Looking at his father from the corner of his eye, Henry casually tossed in, "Do you like her?"

"I don't know sport. I have to meet Regina first, but I will admit from what I heard, I'm not what you call a fan."

"No, not Regina," Henry said. "Emma."

"Emma?"

Henry nodded. "Yeah. Do you like her?"

"Of course I do. She's your mother."

"That's not what I mean."

Neal sighed. "I know what you mean. Look… this thing with your mother is complicated. I'm treading delicately here because I made a lot of mistakes when it came to her. I don't want to ruin what we just found."

"I guess I get it," Henry said, looking down at his bare feet. "Although I don't know the whole story."

"Let's just say that I did something that I instantly regretted and it ended up hurting your mom a lot."

"I know she spent time in jail. She had me there."

"Oh." Neal's face reddened. "That's a part of it."

"Whatever it was… is it something you two can work out?"

"I don't know but I hope so."

"You love her?"

Neal had to give Henry credit for his tenacity. He doesn't give up. "Yeah. I love her."

"Then why don't you tell her that? Maybe that's what she needs to hear."

"I wish that was true. But… Henry, this thing with your mother is sensitive. Really sensitive. I don't want to throw something that huge at her. The first thing she would do is close up and I will lose any chances trying to prove myself to her. It'll take time and it has to be something she wants too. If Emma doesn't want anything to do with me, then it won't change."

"That won't happen," Henry stated firmly.

"How so?"

"True Love."

"What?"

"True Love," Henry repeated. "Think about it: she's the daughter of Snow White and you're the son of the Dark One. Two complete opposites but you found each other despite this long separation of time. I don't think it was coincidence that you two met and I still don't think it was coincidence even now. It was fate. You two were meant to be together and it took your destinies to get to this point. After all, _I_ found Emma and brought her here. And it was both _me_ and _Emma_ that found _you_. That has to mean something."

"I don't know if it makes it True Love. Usually there is less drama involved."

"Not so. Take Grandpa and Belle. Their path to be together wasn't easy or simple. My book didn't give too many details but they had their obstacles just like Emma's parents did. This is yours and Emma's obstacle. Once you overcome it… then you guys will find your happily ever after."

He was so earnest, so sincere and he really believed that it would magically work out between Neal and Emma. The truth was that Neal wanted to badly believe in what his son was telling him. He remembered hearing that True Love was the most powerful magic of all and he has seen it enough times in this world from books to movies how powerful that belief exists. If he and Emma were True Love… Then maybe Emma would stop doubting him.

"You know she doesn't believe in that anymore," Neal said.

Henry exhaled. "She'll need convincing. You know it wasn't easy for her to believe that this was town was Cursed and that her parents were Snow White and Prince Charming."

"I can see that."

"Even when the Curse was broken, she had a hard time accepting Mary Margaret and David as her parents. She still doesn't."

Now that Henry mentioned it, he was right. Emma called her father "David." And he couldn't blame her. He would probably be in the same boat if the places were reversed.

"Just… promise me you won't give up on her?" Henry asked quietly.

Neal looked at him and set his hand on his shoulder. "I promise," he said solemnly. "I won't give up on her. Not this time."

"Good." Henry smiled brightly. "I can help you too."

"I would love that."

"We should give it a secret code name so no one else will know."

"Okay. What should we call it?"

"Hmm… I got it! Operation Lobster."

"Operation Lobster?" Neal echoed. "That is certainly a covert code name like no other. Operation Lobster it is." Then, he stood up and brushed off some of the sand that got on his pants. "You hungry?"

"Famish." Henry followed suit. "Let's go to Granny's."

"Sounds perfect."

They put their socks and shoes on and began the trek back towards town. Neal didn't understand the circumstances of why Henry picked a lobster to be the code name, but he found himself liking the idea that he and his son had this secret mission going on. He just hoped it wouldn't blow up in his face if Emma caught wind of this.

Dinner went well and Neal's reception was certainly improving among the residents. At least they weren't giving him dirty looks or the not so subtle comment he should go back to New York City. He even earned himself a pat on the back from Leroy (aka Grumpy the Dwarf Henry later told him) for no particular reason other than to welcome him. His son discreetly told his father that Leroy was good friends with his grandmother and if Snow White approved of him… then the Dwarves did too.

The fact he was already earning himself some endorsements from Emma's family and friends was more than he could hope for. Maybe Henry was right about him and her being destined together.

After dinner, Henry and Neal went for another walk and the former told him how he got Emma to finally believe. Neal was rather shocked and impressed that Henry sacrificed himself by taking a bite out of that apple that was intended for his birth mother. The unexplained coma was the push the Savior needed to realize that this was town was more than it appeared to be.

"I wanted Emma to desperately believe because I knew she was so close in accepting the truth about Storybrooke. That and I wanted to be a hero. My family has a lot of heroes in it and I knew it was something that my grandparents would have done so it was an easy decision to make. Of course, I don't know if I could do the same thing again."

"Let's hope not," Neal commented. "That was pretty heroic. Actually, it was pretty heroic for you to go to Boston in the first place."

"Really?"

"Of course. Not that I would promote you going off on your own like that. But considering the circumstances…"

Henry chuckled. "I got it."

Neal gave him a sideways look and shook his head. "I'm thoroughly impressed how you never gave up."

"I guess I get that from you," Henry said.

His father did a double take. "Um… I don't know about that."

"It's true. Listen. I read the book and everyone's story in it. And part of the reason I was finally able to work up the nerve to run off when I did was because of Baelfire. He never gave up on his father when he was determined to find a way to break the Dark Curse. Even as the Dark One, you always insisted that he was a good man."

"Look, Henry," Neal sighed, partially due to the sensitive subject of the matter. "You have to understand. My Papa, your grandfather, it isn't easy. He did a lot of bad things—"

"And he did some good," Henry interrupted. "I bet it can't be easy with the darkness in him, but he is one of the few people here that I don't find frightening."

Neal's lips formed a small smile. "Well, he always had a soft spot for children. He would never dare hurt one."

"See? Rumplestiltskin might not be the perfect hero, but he is sort of like a hero."

"I'm glad you think so. But I'm not necessarily a hero either."

"You are," Henry insisted. "My book only got so far to say how you risked your life in protecting the Darling family when a shadow wanted them. That's a hero, Dad."

Setting his hand on top of Henry's thick hair, Neal pulled him close to his side in a hug. "In my books, you're the real hero."

TBC…


	3. Part 3

A/N: Thank you to those for reviewing! But I am a bit sad that no one picked up on the Easter eggs so I'll tell you what they were:

The one florist employee, Seymour, and the talking plant was a reference to the musical _Little Shop of Horrors_.

Dawn was actually Dawn from _Strange Magic_. Seriously, you need to watch this movie if you haven't already.

Operation Lobster- a _Friends_ reference. Phoebe once called Ross and Rachel lobsters because they mate for life. I couldn't help myself.

This is the last part with this story. I hope you all like it and don't forget to review!

 **Part 3**

The next several days flew by rather quickly. Neal spent as much time as he could with Henry. And after all that talk about heroes, Neal decided to surprise him with something that Henry would certainly enjoy. He found these wooden swords on sale at the toy store and he purchased them so he could teach his son how to fight. As he predicted, Henry _loved_ it.

Neal knew a little about the art of fencing and taught him what he knew. Henry was adept at the activity, Neal quickly discovered, and was afraid he wouldn't have much else to teach him with his limited skill. Fortunately, David knew about the father-son activity and offered to give Neal some lessons that he could pass onto Henry. Naturally, Neal happily accepted. It also gave him the chance to get to know Emma's father and the two bonded quite naturally.

While Neal was worried that David would bring up the fact that he had abandoned his daughter, to his astonishment, David didn't have any resentment towards him.

"It's about your character that matters the most," Prince Charming had told him. "I look at you and how you are with Henry and I know you're a good person. You were in a tough situation and you made a bad choice. Trust me, we've all been there. And you can either allow that to control you or you can change it. Emma has been through a lot and even her mother and I sometimes struggle when it comes to her. We missed so much and it kills me even though it couldn't have been prevented. It's about the present and the here and now that should matter. The past… is the past. Remember that."

And Neal did.

During that time, Emma did the best she could to avoid him but Storybrooke was a small town. Eventually, they would cross paths and they did on more than one occasion. Neal suspected that Henry and even David might have had a hand in the orchestration, but Emma did start talking to him. Mostly small stuff and mainly it was focused on Henry, yet Neal noticed she was rather flushed when around him.

"Thank you for the flowers by the way," she told him in a rush as they walked Henry home from school. It had been Henry's ploy to get them together under the guise that one of them would have alone time with him.

There was no mistaking the Cheshire cat smile on his face when he nonchalantly said, "Oops. I forgot I asked Neal to pick me up. Oh well, I guess we'll walk together."

It was sneaky and Neal couldn't help the admiration for his kid. As Henry walked past them to give his parents privacy to talk, he whispered to his dad: "Operation Lobster is in effect."

For a minute, Emma didn't say anything and the last thing Neal wanted was for her to get upset. Then she surprised him by thanking him for the flowers.

"You don't have to—" he started.

"No, it's all right. I should have said it sooner but with that break-in and your father pissing me off… I wasn't in the thanking mood."

"Yeah I get it." Silence fell once more until Neal cleared his throat. "Uh, speaking of which. Do you have any leads?"

"Your future stepmother is much more cooperative. Unfortunately, she didn't have a clue but she did call me to tell me what it was that was stolen. But that hasn't exactly yielded a list of suspects."

"What was it?" Neal asked.

"A scarf of all things." Glancing at him, she added, "Apparently, it was yours from the Enchanted Forest. So I guess anyone who would want something like that back might be you. Wanna make my job easier and confess your crime?"

He laughed dryly. "I wish I could but no. It wasn't me and really?"

She nodded. "From Belle's description, it was the same one that Gold wore on our way to look for you. He needed it to maintain his memories when we crossed the town-line."

"Oh." Neal remembered his father wearing a scarf even on days where it was relatively warm in the city. He thought it was some weird habit he developed but if he needed it for his memories… then it made sense. " _Oh_."

That explained why his father was being so pig-headed! So why couldn't he tell Emma what it was in the first place? Come to think of it… Even Neal had been brash with his father by throwing more accusations in his face rather than letting him explain himself. This time Neal was the asshole in this situation by bitching out to his Papa about how the item wasn't worth his silence. It was clearly sentimental and it had served a purpose, and it was stolen.

Of course, Neal wondered who in the world would steal an old scarf was beyond him. But one thing he knew for certain was that Neal knew he owed his father an apology.

Emma lifted a thin, dark brow at him. "What's wrong?"

He exhaled. "Something I said to him in the shop after you left. I pretty much let him have it because I was mad he wasn't being cooperative. I honestly thought he was falling back in his old patterns and habits. Geez, I was such a jerk to him. I can only imagine what he must be thinking…"

"Yeah but no offense… your father is a jerk."

He knew she was trying to make him feel better, but deep down, Neal felt _awful_. Here he was preaching to Henry and himself how he wanted to have a second chance with Emma, and yet, when it came to his father… he was assuming the worse when his father _wanted_ a second chance too. He never gave the man a chance to defend his actions, but then again, his Papa didn't fight hard enough to do so. Sure, Rumple got angry (rightfully so now that Neal knew what it was that was stolen) but he didn't bother to try to convince his son otherwise.

 _Like you gave him the opportunity? You were so busy focusing on the negative that you couldn't listen to what the man was saying._ His conscience gave him a good chastisement and Neal had no excuse for his treatment towards his old man.

Gripping the folds of the fabric in his coat pocket, Neal looked down. "Doesn't excuse what I did and said to him Emma. Christ, I can only imagine what he must be thinking right now…"

The truth was Neal thought he would have known, but now… Now, he wasn't so confident when it came to figuring out his father. Part of him assumed Rumple would try to get vengeance (which wasn't farfetched) but the fact his father didn't fight back with him, didn't push him to hear his side of the story… It was unnerving this new side to him.

So caught up in his thoughts, Neal didn't notice Emma's hand flex and rest on his arm until he felt her warmth through the material.

Breathing in sharply, he whipped his face towards her, his eyes gaping wide.

Ignoring his look, she said: "I'm sure he forgave you as soon as you said those things."

Then like that, the moment ended. She lowered her hand back to her side and sped up her pace so she was now walking alongside Henry. She didn't look back at him but Neal caught a hint of the rosy hue to her cheeks.

If that wasn't another step towards progress, then he didn't know what was! But her words gave him something else to mull over: did his father forgive him?

Until now, Neal never bothered to give his Papa another thought. So furious he was at him for being _him_ that when Neal visited Belle and Lily-Rose, he purposefully kept his distance from the Dark One. Not that he had to. Rumple did the distancing on his own, always making sure he wasn't around when Neal stopped over at the house. It prevented any nasty confrontations that would inevitably happen and while Neal had been grateful—he knew it upset his future stepmother.

She didn't say a word (she didn't have to) not when her disapproving look said it all. She was disappointed in her fiancé and in her future stepson. She had vowed to each man (alone) that she wasn't going to interfere and so far she hadn't despite the obvious longing to say _something_ , _anything_ to end this silent and sullen treatment. Besides, Belle said her opinion on the subject already and Neal knew where she stood. She wanted him to give his Papa the deserved second chance and he wouldn't.

Even Lily-Rose, his baby sister, was becoming agitated with her Papa and big brother. The last time he was over, Lily-Rose threw a stuffed wolf at Neal's head when he wasn't looking. Hands on her small hips, she glared at him and said in the most threatening way that a two-year-old could:

"Stop being a doo-doo head and be nice to Papa! I hate it!"

She did have a mean throw and she clocked him good, but Neal knew it was difficult to explain to her why he was being a "doo-doo head" as she called him. She didn't know about their father's past or what he went through growing up once he took on the Dark Curse.

So he felt a little bad lying to her how he would try and be nicer to Papa. It placated her for the time being and they went back to playing.

Presently, he knew he needed to see his father to make amends for his recent behavior.

After all, it was the right thing to do.

xxXXxx

Henry was saddened when Neal told him he had to leave early. Even Emma was stunned with his declaration.

"I have something I must do. Don't worry—if it's okay with your mom, then maybe we can get ice cream?" Neal looked to Emma for permission and she was gazing at him with appreciation. She hadn't much time with Henry and herself by themselves since New York. Being back, Henry wanted to spend all his time with his father as much as he could, which she couldn't fault him, but it did sting that he would rather hangout with dad and not mom. Not that he called her Mom anyways…

"Uh, sure. That's fine with me," she said and Henry's mouth split into a big, toothy grin.

"Great! I'll see you later sport." Neal gave his son a hug and smiled in thanks at Emma.

She waved him as if it was no big deal, but he could tell she was happy she was having some Henry alone time.

"Be good to your mother," Neal added for good measure and earned himself an eye roll from both his son and the mother in question.

"Bye Neal," she said.

He cheekily winked at them and began walking in the direction of the pawn shop. At this time of day, he knew his Papa would still be there.

As he approached the building, he heard a grunt and a pained moan. Jumping to the conclusion that his Papa was in trouble, he broke into a run and stopped when he caught his father holding a man by the throat with his cane against the shop's wall.

The vicious sneer was all-too familiar as Neal stared at the scene before him with apprehension. The man had a bigger built than Rumple and could have held his own were it not for the terror growing in his eyes as his assaulter pressed the cane harder against his wind pipe. The gurgling, strangling noises fled the man's lips as his face was quickly becoming purple from the lack of oxygen.

"What the Hell is this!?" Neal shouted, immediately snapping his father's attention towards him and not at the gasping man. Rumple's grip on the cane loosened and his victim fell to the ground coughing and choking for air.

Startled, Rumple stared at his son and realized how this obviously looked. "Bae, I—I mean, Neal, this isn't—"

Ignoring him, Neal turned to the other man whose color was slowly returning to normal. "Are you all right?"

He wheezed as he nodded.

"Good." Looking back at his father, Neal pointed to the man. "Is this guy responsible for breaking into your shop?"

Rumple blinked at him in astonishment. That was… the last thing he expected his son to say to him. He expected yelling, cursing, maybe a threat to call the Sheriff and have him arrested. But not _this_.

"It's not the first time I caught him snooping around but if anyone knows about the break-in… it would be him."

"I… told… you… Gold!" the man spat, heaving as he drew breath. "I… don't… know… anything!"

Rumple's lips twisted in disgust because he knew that Smee was lying. His specialty was locating valuable items and Rumple believed someone hired him to steal Bae's scarf. Someone knew how much he valued that scarf and he wanted answers.

He didn't notice Neal do a quick look around before stalking into the alley and picking the man up by his shirt and slamming back into the wall. Giving the big man a shake, Neal got into his face, demanding, "Who put you up to it? C'mon Smee, I know you know something."

Smee, wide-eyed, looked at him with shock. "Y-you know my n-name?"

Even Rumple was flabbergasted. "You know this scum?"

"I was younger but I don't forget a face. And I certainly remember yours and your undying loyalty to that pirate!"

Recognition lit up behind Smee's eyes as he recalled what Rumple said. "B-Bae?" he stuttered. "Baelfire?"

Neal nodded, not bothering to correct him. "Now, you're going to tell us who hired you to break into my father's store and steal my scarf."

"Look, I would love you to help you. Honestly. But I never saw the face! I swear!" Fearfully looking at both men, Smee pleaded, "I swear! That's the God's honest truth!"

"Why did they want it?" Neal asked.

"I didn't ask why. I was instructed to get the scarf and drop it off at this spot and I did. That's it."

Neal searched his face to make sure he wasn't lying, but it seemed that Smee was telling the truth. Sighing, he let the man go. "Don't go too far because I'm sure Sheriff Swan will have some questions for you."

Neal pulled out his cell phone and texted Emma to tell her about the recent break in the case. A second later she texted back saying she was on her way.

"She'll be here to get you," Neal told Smee. "Hang tight. There's a lovely cell with your name on it."

Smee laughed bitterly, sitting down as he waited for the sheriff. There was no point in running away.

Meanwhile, Rumple was still slightly flummoxed over what just transpired with his son. Not once in all his centuries did he expect his boy to help him with _anything_. Surely, his violent display would have had his son react differently. Like pushing _him_ away and telling him how _wrong_ he was acting. Instead, he took his Rumple's side and even roughed Smee up a bit. Yet, it was also the jaw-dropping revelation Bae made that had him instantly curious. His son _knew_ Smee and the pirate he mentioned had to be none other than Hook, the smarmy bastard who took Milah and made a fool out of him when he was still a lowly spinner.

But _how_?! When did they cross paths? How much did Bae know about his history with Hook and his mother?

Those were answers Rumple was desperate to learn and also fearful too. If he knew the truth about Milah… there was no telling how this would affect Bae.

So Rumple swallowed his trepidation and kept tightly-lipped while Sheriff Swan showed up with handcuffs. Henry was in the passenger seat of the cruiser and waved to his father and Mr. Gold as Emma read Smee his rights. The two men watched as she led the thieving pirate into the back of her car and threw his red cap in his lap.

Slamming the door shut, she strolled up to them and nodded. "I'll see what I can get out of him. Maybe some time in the slammer will loosen his tongue and we'll find out who it was that put him up to this."

"Thanks Emma," Neal said. Then turning to his father, he gave him a look and tilted his head in her direction.

"Oh. Yes, uh, thank you Sheriff Swan," Rumple said gruffly.

She smirked. "Looks like you owe me a favor."

"What!? That doesn't count as one when you're doing your job!" he practically squawked.

The blonde Savior rolled her eyes. "It was a joke. Relax." Opening the driver's door, she did toss out, "That was pro bono. Next time I arrest someone for committing a crime against you, you owe me big time."

She got inside and closed the door before Rumple could protest. Backing up, she pulled back onto Main Street and took off for the station. Rumple grumbled under his breath and Neal couldn't help but chuckle.

Then it became quite obvious they were alone and both reverted into themselves. Now that they didn't have a buffer it left them to make conversation on their own. At last, Rumple coughed and motioned to his shop.

"Would you—would you like some tea?" he offered.

Neal thinly smiled. "Sure."

"Good, good," Rumple murmured, limping his way to the front of the store. Neal followed him as his father went into the backroom.

It was a workroom complete with a cot and an old-fashioned stove as Rumple placed a pot on the burner to heat up the water. The place was stock-piled with all kinds of antiques and junk, which to the undetected eye would see as garbage. But everything had its purpose and it was organized to suit the Dark One's needs.

There was a chair in a corner so Neal went over and brought it closer to his father's worktable so he could sit. Rumple took his place on his stool and hooked his cane on the edge of the table. "So…" he said.

"So…" Neal echoed albeit uncomfortably. It was his cue to start the conversation up, to tell his Papa how he jumped to conclusions and he was sorry. Yet, he couldn't find the way to shape the words he wanted to say.

Licking his lips nervously, Neal forced himself to look into his father's eyes and took a deep breath. "Papa… I…" At the last second, he tore his gaze from him to peer into his lap as he finished, "I'm sorry."

Rumple's countenance was comical. Did… Did his son _apologize_ to him? "Bae… Neal," he corrected. "What do you have to be sorry for? I'm the one who should be apologizing."

"No Papa. Look, I didn't handle the break-in as well as I should have. I assumed the worst because when it comes to you… there is always something and I didn't give you the chance to tell me what happened. And even though it was my old scarf that was taken… I still think you should have given Emma the courtesy to tell her the truth. Nothing can be worth that much."

"It means the world to me," Rumple whispered.

"I know. But what I'm trying to say is that you're not alone anymore. You have Belle and Lily-Rose and now Henry and Emma. She can help you and she did by taking that thief into custody. And I know she'll get a name out of him so whoever it was… they'll pay for their involvement with jail time too. You don't have to get justice on your own."

"I—" What could Rumple say? His son had a point, and while it was a strange notion to take into account, the Savior was family now. He wasn't used to receiving help from other people (apart from his fiancée) so it was difficult for him to open up and admit he needed assistance. Stranger too was someone else willing to help the Dark One. "I don't know what to say," he admitted lamely.

"Just promise me that next time something happens… you come to us for help. I don't care if it's Belle or even Emma. Don't do this on your own."

As Rumple opened his mouth, Neal cut in. "I mean it Papa. You have gone too long with this lone wolf attitude. Even with all that magic at your disposal, you are still a man and sometimes magical beings need help now and then. For better or for worse, we're family so we need to stick together."

"You—you mean that?" Rumple asked hopefully, his eyes shining.

At that moment, the kettle whistled and before Rumple could stand up to fix the tea, Neal went ahead and prepared it. Sinking back down on his seat, Rumple could only stare at his boy with pride and love.

Coming back with the cups of tea, Neal took his seat and grinned. "Yeah I mean it. We have one family and I have only one Papa. So I guess we're stuck together."

Not exactly the heartwarming declaration but it meant the world to Rumple. It meant that reconciliation was possible after all.

"Does that mean… we're good?" his father questioned.

Neal took a sip of his tea and sighed. "I'm still mad if that's what you're asking. I don't know if it's something I can ever truly get over, to be honest. You left me Papa. You chose power over me and I can't forget that. But…" At this, he looked at him. "I am willing to give you a second chance."

"That's all I ever wanted," Rumple gasped, reaching for his boy's hand. "I swear Bae. I will do my best to make it up to you."

Neal smiled but didn't bother to correct him. "Okay then."

"Okay."

Neal stood up leaving his drink unfinished. "I'll see you later."

"Wait."

Looking over his shoulder, Neal watched as his father shakily stood up and came to stand in front of the worktable. "There is something I've been meaning to ask you… but I wasn't sure how you would respond. So I guess this is a better time than anything."

"What?"

"Would you…? Would you be interested in being my best man?"

Neal was floored. "Really? You want me to be the best man?"

"Of course. You're the only person I would ever want to stand beside me on my wedding day. I love you son."

"I would be honored Papa." He couldn't bring himself to repeat the same sentiment but his acceptance alone was meaningful enough.

"All right." Rumple nodded.

"All right," Neal agreed.

xxXXxx

Finally the long awaited day for Belle and Rumplestiltskin arrived. There was so much to do in preparation that Belle had insisted the night before her fiancé stay elsewhere so he couldn't see the bride the following morning. Rumple had no other place to stay other than the cot in his shop, but Neal stepped up and offered to bunk with his father.

Since their talk, Neal followed through on what he said about giving his Papa a second chance. He wouldn't say they were now the best of friends, but Neal was behaving a little friendlier and civilly, which was a big step for them. Allowing his father to stay with him for one night was a huge improvement after New York. And Neal wisely chose to ignore the glowing approval from Belle because there was more to her request than an old tradition.

"I'm getting married," Rumple said. "I can't believe I'm getting married."

The Dark One was anxious. Not because of cold feet or nerves, but he was finally marrying the woman of his dreams, his True Love, his Belle. He never thought this day would ever come, especially when she had decided to marry Gaston and keep her promise to the knight. Now… things did find a way in working themselves out and he was marrying her. She was going to become his wife.

It didn't take long for him to get dressed and ready, but as Rumple stood in front of the mirror, he feared this was a dream and he would wake up to find himself in that prison cell or worse… find himself hidden away as Belle married the fool.

Neal materialized behind him with a tender smile. "You look great Papa."

Rumple mutely grinned. He chose a simple black suit with a gray shirt and silver tie. When he went to the tailor to pick it out, Rumple avoided the usual pomp and showman style he tended to use in the Enchanted Forest. Today was about his love for Belle and he wanted to look his best and not over the top. He felt he accomplished that and was inwardly happy that his son approved his wedding garb.

"But… something is missing," Neal said as he turned away to go to the dresser. Opening the drawer, he pulled out a handkerchief. It was pale blue and Rumple's brow rose as his son deftly folded it into a triangle. Completed, Neal tucked it into his pocket and took a step back to admire his work. "Perfect."

"Son… I…" Rumple didn't know what to say.

"I know the something old, something blue, and something borrowed is usually a bride thing, but you're just as important. Since you have the something old already down, there's your something blue and borrowed," Neal explained with a laugh.

Rumple couldn't help but laugh too. "Thank you. You look very handsome too."

Neal beamed. He really didn't pack any suits with him and figured he would rent something in town. Of course, rental suits weren't a thing so he ended up buying a suit, which wasn't a big deal. This was his father's special day and despite their issues… he wasn't going to get petty or cheap. Besides, how many people can say that their suit was custom made by a former mouse?

Matching his father, Neal went with the black suit route. Unlike the neutral tone his father went with, Neal had a white shirt with a burgundy vest underneath and a black tie. Henry picked out the vest and said it was all very "James Bond," and while Neal couldn't recall if James Bond wore burgundy, his son liked it a lot so who was he to turn him down? To finish the look, he folded a burgundy handkerchief into a triangle and slipped it into the pocket.

"I'm sure a certain Miss Swan would be impressed," his father added cheekily.

His son blushed. "I don't know about that Papa, but we're just friends." Truthfully, Neal was nervous to see her. He couldn't explain why but lately things have been getting better between them. At least she wasn't running for the hills when he was in the same room, and they were able to have a decent conversation without accidentally pissing the other off. He didn't want anything to ruin the salvaged friendship they've been able to build. As Henry would say: Operation Lobster was a success so far.

"Friends? Hmpf," Rumple shook his head. "Is that all?"

"For now, yes. We're taking it slow. And don't you dare interfere."

"I won't. It's just… you love her, don't you?"

"Papa, it isn't simple as you might think. I care for her a lot and I want what's best for her. Now, let's get back to what is most the important. This is your day. Let's get a coffee at Granny's and then head to your wedding."

xxXXxx

The ceremony was held outdoors in the park. Rumple's one stipulation was no church since the fairies would have been hovering, and he didn't want the Holier than Thou Mother Superior ruining his day. However, there was one fairy in attendance—Nova or Sister Astrid. Belle said she was a friend and she invited her. Who was he to say no to his bride? At least this fairy wasn't stuck up or a pain in the ass like the others.

To Rumple's astonishment, the venue was decorated beautifully. He hadn't expected anyone to take the time to help them set it up, but despite being the Dark One and the most feared man in town, the residents came together to make this day one of fairy tale dreams.

He spotted his right hand man, Dove, giving instructions while the finishing touches were added. The actual ceremony was going to be conducted under the roof of the picnic area with a white and red rose arch. The tables were removed so folded chairs could be set up in front of the area. The aisle entailed a white runner with crimson petals scattered along the edges.

The day was absolutely perfect—the temperature wasn't too hot or cold and there wasn't a breeze in the air so everything stayed in place. It would seem the Gods were smiling upon them with this token of favor.

The chairs were quickly being filled with the wedding guests, all of whom stunned Rumple for showing up. He hadn't expected to see this support, but he knew they were more than likely here for his Belle. He didn't begrudge them that as long as they didn't do something stupid like speak out when they should hold their peace. If they did, then he wouldn't be held accountable for turning them into snails.

It was time.

Taking his spot, Rumple enfolded his hands in front of him, his cane propping him up. His boy was next to him, mirroring his posture, and he couldn't imagine anything so right than to have him as his best man.

The officiator was none other than Archie Hopper. Belle became close friends with him after her volunteering to help out as a support therapist after the Curse broke. Archie was so happy for them once they became engaged and Belle figured he would be the best person to do the job in marrying them. If Rumple had to be honest, Archie was one of the few in town that he could stand being around and knew the cricket wouldn't mess up. Naturally, Archie was flattered to be asked to do this and if his wide beaming smile didn't indicate this, then you had to be blind.

The first trickling notes of the wedding march began and Rumple inhaled deeply as his daughter was the first to walk down the aisle.

Wearing a blushing pink dress with frills at the bottom and a dark pink ribbon at her waist with a matching color flower, Lily-Rose lifted her head proudly as she reached into her little white basket and let the fluttering rose petals free. She took her sweet time, no doubt savoring the moment, until she reached the end and her basket was empty. She waved to her father and blew him a kiss as well as her brother before twirling to her left so she could sit down.

Next was Henry.

Neal gazed at his son affectionately as he carefully held the white satin-covered pillow with the rings on top. Henry matched his father in a black suit and burgundy vest. His tie was crooked but it added to the charm of what all young kids have as he finally came to the altar and went right to his spot.

When Neal slid his gaze up towards the aisle again, his breath got stuck in his throat when he saw it was Emma walking down. No… not walking, but _gliding_. Her long blonde tresses were curled loosely and cascaded down her shoulders and over the heart-shaped top of her dress. Speaking of which, Neal now knew why Henry insisted he get burgundy. Emma was wearing the lovely shade herself in the floor-length gown that was held up with a strap and small sleeve that really accented her lively green eyes.

He knew he was gawking but when her gaze met his… his heart pounded loudly as she took him in, her lips parting slightly. Then she broke into a dazzling smile as she took her place on the bride's side.

Neal felt a short poke and was greeted with his father's smirk, which he could already hear the imp's voice in his head: _Friends, right._

Thinking of another mischievous imp, Neal looked down at Henry who simply shrugged but the gloating was there written all over that innocent façade.

Last but not least, the bride herself.

As everyone stood up, Belle came into view.

The bride really lived up to her name as Beauty with the simple and romantic strapless white organza ball gown with a feathered heart-shaped bust and a beaded decorative detail on the rouched bodice. The skirt flared out, accentuating her tiny waist, which made it appear she was literally floating down the aisle. Continuing with the simple theme, she wore a spiraling silver chain with a single teardrop sapphire that made her bright blue eyes sparkle and a pair of studded diamond earrings. Her warm, chestnut hair was partially pulled up leaving the rest hanging down in loose waves. The veil streamed down from the back and just fell below her elbows as she clasped her small bouquet of red roses tied with a white ribbon.

She was the epitome of happiness the way her face glowed when she sought out her True Love, increasing her loveliness tenfold. Of course, it was the person giving her away that ignited some astounded looks.

Gaston, looking fresh and dapper in his gray suit, had his arm looped with hers as his own countenance was brimming with joy and happiness for his former wife. Rumple knew her plan was to have her ex-husband give her away since her father had sadly passed away back in the Enchanted Forest. And were it not for Gaston… she never would have met Rumple. Funny, it seemed like ages ago that the Dark One was once enslaved by the former knight and now… his former master was part of the bridal party.

As the bride approached the altar, she turned as Gaston bent down to kiss her cheek. Then he stepped up to Rumple with one hand holding Belle's and placed hers in her beloved's. Covering their hands with his, Gaston squeezed them lightly and murmured to Rumple, "I happily give her away to you."

"Thank you," Rumple replied, giving the younger man an appreciative nod.

Once Gaston took his seat, Rumple and Belle were able to face Archie as he began the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"

xxXXxx

The reception commenced not long after Mr. Gold kissed his bride for the first time. It was a short walk to the large gazebo that was already transformed into a dance floor for the guests complete with string lights. The string quartet that played the bridal march brought their instruments and stands with them, and under Dove's guidance, arranged themselves in the back.

The picnic tables were given a makeover for the occasion with a draping alternating white and red tablecloth and cushions tied on the benches. Each table had an adorning table-piece with tea light candles in mason jars with a rose arrangement in opposite colors of the tablecloth in the center.

As for the food, Granny catered. But unlike her usual menu in the diner, she outdid herself with a delicious gourmet meal of crab cakes with lime aioli topped with sliced chives as an hors d'oeuvre, a couple of slices of beef tenderloin paired with baby carrots, asparagus, roasted potatoes, and a spring salad.

Ruby manned the bar serving up wine and various mixed drinks to those who were brave enough to try her infamous Wolf Bite shooter. For the kiddies, she had a few different brands of pop and juice.

Basically, the reception was a hit.

Once the meal was done, Belle and Rumple took their places on the dance floor for their first dance as a wedded couple. It was also special because they allowed Lily-Rose to pick the song they would dance to, and everyone couldn't stop chuckling at how fitting that the toddler picked "Beauty and the Beast" from the Disney film. They didn't mind it since that was their story after all and they finished the dance by having Lily-Rose joined them near the end.

Of course, there wasn't a dry eye around as Lily-Rose hugged her parents and swayed in time to the music. When the song ended, Neal took it upon himself to get up there and request a dance with the bride. Belle graciously accepted as Rumple picked up Lily-Rose and they all danced to another Disney classic "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes."

That was the last Disney reference for all of the former Enchanted beings as the rest of the evening was spent with contemporary songs. However, someone couldn't resist throwing in "Some Day My Prince Will Come" when Mary Margaret and David went up to dance. Henry cackled to himself and basically outed himself as the culprit for that one as his grandparents couldn't help and laugh too. To his credit, Henry was able to get Emma to dance with him alongside her parents.

Neal watched them in their carefree fun as Henry attempted to spin his mother. Emma tossed her head back and laughed, clearly enjoying herself as she danced with her son. A couple of times her eyes flicked in Neal's direction and her cheeks would flood with color before tearing her gaze away from him.

He thought about approaching her for a dance, but chickened out. He didn't want her to think he was pressuring her, even though a dance would be innocent in itself. It was better for him to stay where he was at the table and watch from afar to avoid any uncomfortable and awkward situation. Although, he did get close to her once while dancing with Lily-Rose. It was unintentional but his arm brushed against hers and Emma had pulled back as if burned. No one seemed to notice much to his relief or there would have been talk about it the rest of the night.

Exhaling softly, Neal nursed his beer. He recognized Dawn, the florist from Belle's shop, dancing with a young man with dark brown skin. She was giggling at something her companion said to her and stopped when she noticed Neal. She gave him a quick wave before her date suddenly dipped her and she was back to laughing again. Archie was dancing as well with Mary Margaret, and David was now dancing with Emma. Belle was dancing with Gaston while her new husband held Lily-Rose in his arms again. There were a few other couples dancing that Neal recognized and some he did not. He did catch Henry dancing with a cute girl his age with dark blonde hair.

Immersed in his thoughts, Neal didn't realize he wasn't alone until he heard a loud sigh next to him.

He didn't recognize her but she had her hands clasped together, resting against her cheek as she sighed once more. "Dontcha just love weddings?" she asked dreamily. "And such a romantic one too! Why, I don't know which is better: this one or my own son's!" She let loose a throaty chuckle as she turned her sharp mossy green eyes on Neal. "But look at you! A handsome young man such as yourself should be enjoying himself on that dance floor."

Before he could respond, she was speaking again. "There's nothing like love, I tell ya. Especially young love. Heh, even old love too. Like I used to tell my son, 'everyone deserves to be love' no matter what. It's nice to see even the Dark One could find it with that cute brunette. And their daughter! Oh! I never seen a little girl as darling as she is in that cute pink dress. Gosh! I could simply eat her up. Not that I would, mind you," she told him with a wink. "So how do you know the happy couple?"

"I'm the groom's son," Neal answered, which she let out a little happy squawk.

"Ya know, I can see that! You're as handsome as your father. Which reminds me: why are you sitting here and not having fun?"

"What makes you think I'm not?"

She rolled her eyes and swatted his arm. It took Neal by surprise, especially since she was rather petite and stout in frame but carried a mean punch. He rubbed his arm absently as she continued with her chattering.

"You remind me of my son. The only difference was that he had this very sore chip on his shoulder and was adamant he would ban love altogether. Did I mention he was a king back home? Anyways, he thought no girl would fall for him, and with his negative attitude, I had to agree with him if he didn't change his mind soon. Poor dear. No one would do for him despite my best efforts, but would he give them a chance? Nooo. Until this tiny slip of a woman comes barging in with a sword rose above her head and my boy was instantly besotted. Of course, he almost ruined it by jumping to conclusions and letting his ridiculous insecurity rule him. But he had this look in his eye when it came to this gal and I noticed you had the same look while looking at _her_."

At this, she pointed her finger at Emma. "Now, she's a beauty too. Honestly, if my son wasn't married, then I would try to set those two up. She seems to be a tough girl, which I believe every man ought to have a lady who can hold her own. And she has good blood too with her parents being royal and everything. Not saying that non-royal blood is bad, but you get my drift right? As I was saying, my boy almost ruined his chances with his wife. He was too afraid to risk his heart by telling her how he felt and there is nothing worse than denying your heart to know what love is about. It's practically a sin! Actually, that should be made into a law… Any who, you like that girl, right?"

Keeping up with this strange woman in the conversation was like a tennis match, but Neal imperceptibly nodded.

"Good! Go up to her and ask her to dance. An attractive guy like you would be hard to resist. Go on now. Shoo!"

She motioned her hands at him, hitting him in the process that Neal stood up to avoid being whacked from her again. With a smile showing all her teeth, she looked at him with growing anticipation that Neal's feet grew a mind of its own as they carried him to the floor where the song came to an end and Emma and her father separated.

David saw him and grinned at him, which had Emma turning around to see who it was when her eyes widened as Neal stopped in front of her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she replied back.

"Uhh, I was wondering, if you're not busy right now… would you…? Would you care to dance?" Neal gulped, his heart thunderously roaring in his ears. Immediately, the little voice in his head was telling him he was an idiot and that this was a stupid idea because Emma wouldn't accept it and he officially squashed any other chances in winning her back…

When the voice suddenly vanished as her hand slipped into his, an enchanting and lilting smile gracing her lips.

"I would love to."

The End

Next, I have Part 9B which I have to say, might be favorite of all in this series. I already started outlining it so it'll be awhile before I post it, but I want to add this is how I would love to see Season 2B go if everything wasn't in a rush to get to Neverland. And in case anyone was wondering… that woman talking to Neal is a fabulous character named Griselda from the movie _Strange Magic_. Trust me, there might be more of her in my next story. Thank you again for all reading and don't forget to review!


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